The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has called for the establishment of a special court to handle cases of crude oil theft in the country.
EFCC’s Director of Investigation, Abdulkarim Chukkol, made the call during the investigative hearing of the House of Representatives’ Special Committee on Crude Oil Theft in Abuja, on Wednesday.
He said over 400 cases were charged to court in 2019, with 200 others prosecuted in 2022.
Chukkol averred that a special court and amendment of the legal framework of the anti-graft agency would help EFCC in addressing the crude oil theft.
Earlier in June, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the NNPC Limited, Mele Kyari, while calling for the support of the judiciary in tackling the twin challenges of crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism, also recommended the establishment of special courts to be created for the offence.
Kyari made the call at the National Judges Capacity Building Workshop on the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 organised by the National Judicial Institute (NJI) and INVESTIN 234.
In a goodwill message at the workshop, the GCEO noted that the benefits of the PIA have been significantly compromised by crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism.
He urged the judiciary to consider establishing a special court for these offenses or create means for expedited hearings for such cases.
According to him, the role of the judiciary was critical to the success various security arrangements put in place by NNPC, law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders in the industry.
“In particular, is the recommendation that a special court be created to try those offences as they hinge on our survival as a country, and/or for such trials to be conducted under an accelerated hearing process by the issuance of Practice Directions to that effect, with concomitant sanctions to deter would-be offenders,” Kyari had argued.
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