Oil Theft: Investigative Panel Vows To Name, Expose Perpetrators

The chairman, Special Investigative Panel on Crude Oil Theft/Losses, Major Gen. Barry T. Ndiomu (rtd), has said that the panel will not be afraid to identify and expose those involved in the dastard economic sabotage.

He stated this when he led members of the panel on a courtesy visit to the Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma, who charged them to be courageous in discharging their assignment.

In a statement by the Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the Governor, Oguwike Nwachuku, Ndiomu said they were in Imo State to “engage and have frank discussion with the Governor on finding lasting solution to oil theft in Nigeria, knowing full well that Imo State is one of the oil producing States badly affected by the menace of oil theft/losses.”

He restated commitment to work with the Imo State Government to, not only identify, but prosecute the culprits.

He assured the Governor that going by the seriousness attached to the Committee’s work, the final submission of its report will surely count “and in a very short while the problem will be solved.”

Ndiomu stated that they equally came to tap from the technological know-how of the Governor which, he said, they hope to apply in their investigation to unravel the problem of pipeline vandalism.

He, therefore, requested for Governor Uzodimma’s support as they work to stop oil theft for the benefit of the Nigerian economy and people.

He assured that members of the panel were working towards submitting their report by the end of February 2023.

Responding, Governor Uzodimma in advised members of the panel to be courageous in discharging their assignment, describing the place of crude oil in the economy of Nigeria as ‘the brain of the country.’

The Governor wondered why the lifewire of Nigeria should be left in the hands of few individuals to “open the body and remove the brain.”

Uzodimma commended the wisdom of the Federal Government in setting up the Panel for the purpose of “reducing the dangerous crime of oil thieves who are determined to cripple the economy of the Nation.”

He said the Nigerian Governor’s Forum (NGF) and other well-meaning persons had long suggested that a special committee be set-up to unravel the crude oil theft in Nigeria and expressed happiness that the body has eventually been established.

He further expressed joy that in recent times the crude oil production level has increased and expressed confidence over the calibre of members of the committee who he described as “men and women of impeccable pedigree.”

He, therefore, charged them to “find the courage to do the work and expose the thieves and even prosecute them.”

Governor Uzodimma said two factors have contributed to the successes of oil theft in the country – internal and external security.

He explained “Internally, the said the security appears compromised, not properly mobilized and equipped to fight the malady, while externally, the security needs to be properly coordinated or synergised”.

He told the Panel that in Imo State, his administration is doing her best, in conjunction with the security agencies, to check oil theft, noting that “the result is that now things are getting better than the situation we met in 2020 when we assumed office.”

To achieve better result in taming oil theft in the country, Governor Uzodimma recommended that the fight must involve the local communities/vigilantes, the State and Federal Government security agencies.

He assured the Panel of his administration’s support to salvage the Nigerian economy and improve the overall well-being of the people, expressing confidence that members of the panel will do the job assigned to them creditably despite the enormous responsibility that comes with it.