Will Buhari Govt Name Big Names Behind Oil Theft In Nigeria?

President Muhammadu Buhari’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, has said that the National Security Adviser’s (NSA) office will soon release the names of prominent Nigerians responsible for oil theft in Nigeria.

As part of the strategy to stop economic sabotage in Nigeria, Shehu said during an appearance on a Trust TV program that security personnel had lately raided places where illicit oil bunkering thrives. He also said that oil theft is being dealt with.

Shehu also stated that the nation’s failure to meet the quota set by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries is embarrassing (OPEC).

According to him, “Oil theft is being tackled. The big problem we have in this country is that we ought to see more commitment from communities in assisting law enforcement agents. In some cases, where some actors in law enforcement are complicit, it becomes bad.

“We used to fight the OPEC for more quotas; now, they’ve given us and we aren’t able to meet up. This’s embarrassing. Security agencies are fully involved in stopping this act. I’m hopeful that in the next few days, the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) will be presenting to the country big men who are promoters of this kind of business as they’re being caught and illegal refineries are being bombed out.

“The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited is also installing a monitoring capacity to detect or advise immediately when sabotage of oil pipelines happens.”

In the meantime, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) only recently detained 120 Nigerians on suspicion of unlawful oil theft.

In Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the EFCC and members of the 6 Division Garrison, Nigerian Army, conducted a joint operation.