EFCC Pushes for Special Courts to Combat Crude Oil Theft and Vandalism 🚨⚖️

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has called for the establishment of a dedicated special court to tackle the persistent issue of crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism. This plea was made by Abdulkarim Chukkol, Director of Investigation at the EFCC, during an investigative hearing by the House of Representatives special committee on crude oil theft in Abuja on Wednesday. Chukkol highlighted that the EFCC has prosecuted over 400 cases in 2019 and an additional 200 cases in 2022 related to crude oil theft. He believes that the creation of a special court and amendments to the EFCC’s legal framework would greatly enhance the agency’s effectiveness in addressing these crimes.

Echoing this sentiment, Mele Kyari, Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Limited, also advocated for the establishment of special courts. Kyari's appeal was made in June during the National Judges Capacity Building Workshop on the Petroleum Industry Act 2021, organized by the National Judicial Institute and INVESTIN 234. He stressed that the benefits of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) have been significantly undermined by crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism, urging the judiciary to either set up special courts for these cases or ensure expedited hearings.

Kyari emphasized the critical role the judiciary plays in supporting the NNPC, law enforcement, and other stakeholders in the fight against these challenges. He recommended the creation of a special court to address these serious offenses or, alternatively, the implementation of an accelerated hearing process with stringent sanctions to deter offenders.