The House of Representatives Special Committee on Crude Oil Theft has recommended the establishment of a special court to accelerate the prosecution of oil thieves and economic saboteurs.
The panel argued that weak laws and delays in the regular judicial system continue to hinder efforts to combat crude oil theft in Nigeria.
The call was made during a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja on Thursday, which brought together lawmakers, security agencies, and officials from the Office of the National Security Adviser to review the legal framework for addressing crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism, and related offences.
Chairman of the committee, Alhassan Doguwa, said participants agreed on the urgent need to overhaul outdated laws, many of which date back to the military era and fail to deter sophisticated criminal networks operating in the sector.
“We have also recommended in previous bills before the House the possibility of establishing a special court for these kinds of crimes
