Police, Senate Unite to Tackle Rising Crude Oil Theft in Nigeria

In an attempt to combat the looting of the country’s oil resources, Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun promised the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) will assist the Senate ad hoc committee on crude oil theft.

At the Force Headquarters in Abuja on Thursday, Egbetokun provided the assurance to committee members under the direction of Senator Ned Nwoko, who represents Delta North.

The tour was intended to promote inter-agency cooperation to combat crude oil theft throughout Nigeria’s onshore and offshore assets, according to force public relations officer Olumuyiwa Adejobi.

“A powerful delegation from the Senate committee on crude oil theft, headed by Senator Ned Nwoko, was received by Inspector-General of Police IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, PhD, NPM, at the IGP Smart Conference Hall, Force Headquarters, Abuja, today, July 31, 2025,” the statement says.

Read Also: Aliyu: Nigerians Managed Buhari for 8 Years, Can Endure Tinubu’s Tenure

“This is one of the calculated steps to talk about ways to stop Nigerian oil theft, both onshore and offshore.”

According to Nwoko, the committee’s goal is to prevent widespread crude oil theft in order to assist Nigeria in reaching its oil production goals.

Without the police’s full participation, he added, the work would not be completed.

In order to meet the nation’s oil production goals, the chairman said, “The committee’s mandate is to ensure crude oil theft comes to an end.”

“He emphasized that without strong cooperation with the Nigeria Police Force, which is essential to preventing the theft of the country’s crude oil, this mandate cannot be accomplished by the committee alone.”

Egbetokun responded by thanking the committee for its visit and reaffirming the Force’s dedication to safeguarding national resources and prosecuting oil thieves.

“The Nigeria Police Force’s commitment to fighting crude oil theft, safeguarding vital national infrastructure, and making sure those responsible for this economic sabotage are held accountable was reaffirmed by the IGP,” the statement continued.

The deputy inspectors-general in charge of operations and intelligence were instructed by the police chief to start collaborating closely with the committee.

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) reports that between 2002 and 2025, more than 353 million barrels of crude oil, worth more than $25.7 billion, were stolen.

In order to identify long-term answers to this financial burden on the country, the Senate committee stated that it would keep collaborating with security services.