Senate raises panel to probe crude oil theft

The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, on Thursday, constituted a 13-member ad hoc committee to probe oil theft in Nigeria and its impact on petroleum production and oil revenues.

Lawan, while constituting the panel during the plenary yesterday, named Senator Bassey Albert Akpan as chairman of the committee.

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Members of the panel are Senators Yusuf A. Yusuf, Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, Kabiru Gaya, Mohammed Adamu Aliero, George Thompson Sekibo, and Gabriel Suswam.

Others are senators Kashim Shettima, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, Ali Ndume, Stella Oduah, Sani Musa, and Ibrahim Gobir.

The ad hoc committee was given one month to conclude work on investigations and report back to the chamber in plenary.

Crude oil theft has been rampant in Nigeria and just last week, the Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Ltd, Mele Kyari, said the country lost $1.5 billion worth of crude oil to theft between January and early April 2022.