The Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (rtd) has called for the effective prosecution of oil thieves to curb the rampant economic sabotage crippling Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
The administrator made the declaration while hosting the Senate Committee on Incessant Crude Oil Theft, led by its Chairman, Senator Ned Nwoko, at the Government House in Port Harcourt on Friday.
Ibas stressed that weak punishment for offenders emboldens criminality, depriving the nation of critical revenue needed for development.
“Your presence here is both significant and timely. Crude oil theft strikes at the heart of Nigeria’s economic survival, undermining President Bola Tinubu’s reforms to boost oil production and fund national infrastructure,” he stated.
He commended the Senate committee’s mandate to investigate oil theft across producing states and terminals, expressing confidence that their recommendations would strengthen Nigeria’s economic base.
The administrator highlighted Rivers State’s progress in reducing pipeline vandalism through:
improved intelligence gathering and inter-agency coordination.
“As a major oil-producing state, we are committed to eliminating threats to production. Our goal is a secure, tech-driven monitoring framework to safeguard assets and boost output,” he said.
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Ibas suggested strict prosecution of offenders as well as ensuring convicted oil thieves face deterrent penalties.
He also called for tamper-proof metering systems to eradicate about 40 percent loses incured through faulty meters.
The administrator equally recommended enhanced naval and security funding aimed at strengthening the navy and maritime agencies.
He said that global surveillance investment is an imperative to expand monitoring to backwaters and international waters, where large-scale oil theft occurs.
In his response, Senator Ned Nwoko affirmed the committee’s resolve to identify and dismantle theft networks, both onshore and offshore.
“We need Rivers State’s support to end this menace. Big-time thieves operate in international waters, and we must collaborate to secure Nigeria’s resources,” he said.
The committee inaugurated three months ago, will submit actionable solutions to the Senate to sanitize the oil sector.