The Senate’s ad-hoc committee investigating Nigeria’s persistent crude oil theft intensified its inquiry on Tuesday with an oversight visit to the leadership of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC).
Speaking after the engagement, the committee chairman, Senator Ned Nwoko, described the visit as a critical step toward ensuring that the Senate’s final report on crude oil losses is factual, defensible, and anchored in verifiable data.
Senator Nwoko disclosed that the committee has submitted three interim reports to the Senate, each underpinned by rigorous analysis, consultations with both local and international experts, and credible documentation.
The findings, he noted, reveal years of substantial revenue leakages within the nation’s oil sector.
He emphasized that the committee’s probe is not limited to historical losses but also examines current realities in Nigeria’s upstream operations.
“While historical challenges are significant, it is equally important to understand what is happening now within NNPC’s upstream operations,” Senator Nwoko stated.
During the session with NNPC officials, the committee sought clarity on past operational lapses that facilitated large-scale crude theft and revenue loss.
The engagement also involved assessing ongoing reforms aimed at stabilizing production and safeguarding critical pipeline infrastructure.
Senator Nwoko explained that the committee’s goal is to reconcile documented historical losses with current operational data, thereby evaluating the effectiveness of present mitigation measures.
He added that insights from this phase of engagement will form an integral part of the committee’s final report to the Senate, ensuring a comprehensive and actionable framework for addressing Nigeria’s crude oil challenges.
