EFCC Seeks Special Courts to Tackle Oil Theft, Vandalism

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EFCC Seeks Special Courts to Tackle Oil Theft, Vandalism

Loveworld / 2 hours

August 15, 2024

2 min read

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has called for the establishment of a specialized court to address crude oil theft. Abdulkarim Chukkol, the Commission’s Director of Investigation, made this appeal during an investigative hearing by the House of Representatives special committee on crude oil theft in Abuja on Wednesday. Chukkol noted that over 400 cases were brought to court in 2019, with an additional 200 cases prosecuted in 2022, emphasizing that a special court and legal framework amendments would enhance the EFCC’s effectiveness in tackling these crimes.
In a related move, NNPC Limited’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, has also advocated for special courts to handle crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism. Kyari made this recommendation in June during the National Judges Capacity Building Workshop on the Petroleum Industry Act 2021. He highlighted that crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism have undermined the benefits of the PIA and urged the judiciary to support these efforts by either establishing a dedicated court or implementing an accelerated hearing process.
Kyari emphasized the importance of judicial support in combating these challenges, stating, “The creation of a special court for these offences is crucial to our nation’s survival, or alternatively, implementing an accelerated hearing process with strict sanctions to deter offenders.”