From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja

Minority caucus of the House of Representatives has expressed concerns over the spate of crude oil theft in the country, under the All Progressives Congress ( APC) led federal government.

The caucus, in a statement by the minority leader, Ndudi Elumelu, on Saturday, said crude oil theft has allegedly become an organised racket under the present administration.

The opposition lawmakers stated that they are alarmed by the alleged complicity of some unscrupulous government officials ” in the clandestine entrance and berthing of a 3-million-barrel capacity super tanker”, into Nigerian waters “to criminally load millions of barrels of stolen crude oil from our country.”

According to them, “such reported complicity is also evidenced in the failure of the Nigerian authorities to effectively intercept and arrest the criminal tanker and its crew, which successfully left the Nigerian waters only to be apprehended by the Equatorial Guinea Navy.

“This shocking development underscores the massive sleaze in our nation’s oil and gas sector under the APC administration, with consequential crippling effect on our overall national economy and social wellbeing.

Related News

“It is indeed disturbing that under the APC administration, according to official reports, oil thieves are having a field day stealing up to 400,000 barrels of crude oil every day. This amounts to a daily siphoning of about $40m (given the current average global oil price of around $100 a barrel) accrued revenue meant for the wellbeing of Nigerians.

“Our caucus is saddened because such enabled sleaze is responsible for the crippling of our production and services sectors, massive unemployment; collapse of our critical sectors including education, health and power; unbearable infrastructural stagnation and escalated insecurity with attendant excruciating hardship on our citizens.”

The caucus demanded for an immediate, independent and open investigation into the issue of oil theft in the country, with particular reference to the circumstances that facilitated the alleged illegal operation of a vessel in the country.

“Who granted the vessel entrance into the Nigerians water? Who granted it facilities to illegally berth and pump stolen crude oil? What circumstances facilitated its escape from the Nigerian waters? Who is the vessel working for and who are those behind the illegal operation?,” they queried.