Police, senate committee plan joint action to curb crude oil theft

Kayode Egbetokun, the inspector-general of police, has pledged the support of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to the senate ad hoc committee on crude oil theft, as part of efforts to tackle the plundering of the nation’s oil resources.

Egbetokun gave the assurance during a meeting with members of the committee, led by Ned Nwoko, senator representing Delta north, at the Force Headquarters in Abuja on Thursday.

According to Olumuyiwa Adejobi, force public relations officer, the visit was aimed at fostering inter-agency collaboration to address crude oil theft across Nigeria’s onshore and offshore installations.

“The inspector-general of police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, PhD, NPM, today, 31st July 2025, received a high-powered delegation from the senate committee on crude oil theft led by the chairman, Senator Ned Nwoko, at the IGP Smart Conference Hall, Force Headquarters, Abuja,” the statement reads.

“This is part of strategic moves to discuss strategies to curb onshore and offshore oil theft in Nigeria.”

Nwoko said the committee’s mandate is to help Nigeria meet its oil production targets by stopping large scale theft of crude oil.

He added that the task would not be accomplished without the full cooperation of the police.

“The chairman stated that the committee’s mandate is to ensure crude oil theft comes to an end so the country’s oil production targets can be met,” the statement reads.

“He emphasised that this mandate cannot be achieved by the committee alone without robust collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force, which is critical to combatting the theft of the nation’s crude oil.”

In his response, Egbetokun expressed appreciation for the committee’s visit and assured that the Force is committed to protecting national assets and bringing oil thieves to justice.

“The IGP reiterated the Nigeria Police Force’s dedication to combating crude oil theft, protecting critical national infrastructure, and ensuring the perpetrators of this economic sabotage are brought to justice,” the statement added.

The police boss directed the deputy inspectors-general in charge of operations and intelligence to begin working closely with the committee.

According to data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), over 353 million barrels of crude oil were stolen between 2002 and 2025 — an amount valued at over $25.7 billion.

The senate committee said it would continue working with security agencies to find lasting solutions to this drain on the nation’s coffers.