Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr Emmanuel Kachikwu, has disclosed at least 360 persons have been killed as a result of oil theft and pipeline vandalism in the last one year in different parts of the country.
Kachikwu gave the figures yesterday at a conference on security in the Gulf of Guinea, organised by Gusau Institute (GI), in Abuja. He did not give details.
The NNPC boss added that the deceased included personnel of the corporation, the Police and others.
Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr Emmanuel Kachikwu, has disclosed at least 360 persons have been killed as a result of oil theft and pipeline vandalism in the last one year in different parts of the country.
Kachikwu gave the figures yesterday at a conference on security in the Gulf of Guinea, organised by Gusau Institute (GI), in Abuja. He did not give details.
The NNPC boss added that the deceased included personnel of the corporation, the Police and others.
He however expressed determination of the corporation to eradicate oil theft and pipeline vandalism in the next eight months.
According to him, oil theft and pipeline vandalism have greatly affected the revenue generation and image of Nigeria at the international arena.
"Oil theft has reduced our revenue generation and indeed affected the image of our country at the international community.
“We are losing 50,000 barrels of crude oil to oil theft everyday and at the same time most of our pipelines are targeted frequently.
“We lost not fewer than 360 combined staff of NNPC, the Nigeria Police and members of the community to oil theft in the last one year," Kachikwu said.
He disclosed that as part of ways to find a lasting solution to the lingering oil theft, NNPC would establish a company that would be saddled with the responsibility of securing pipeline in the country.
He said that oil theft was perpetrated by the bigwigs, saying that "the poor have no business with oil theft".
He told the gathering that: “I want to assure you that the new leadership of NNPC, with the support and cooperation of all stakeholders, is working very hard to eradicate oil theft and pipeline vandalism in the next eight months," he said.
The NNPC boss said the measure was part of efforts to enhance transparency and accountability in the oil and gas industry, to boost production capacity of the corporation.
The group managing director, therefore, called on Nigerians to join and support the campaign against oil theft and pipeline vandalism for the benefit of all Nigerians.
“If we do not eradicate oil theft, we cannot progress as a nation; states will no longer pay salaries and there will be no job for the unemployed."
Speaking earlier, Mr Patrice Trovoada, Prime Minister of São Tomé and Principe, advocated regional cooperation and integration to end sea piracy in the gulf of guinea.
He stressed the need for greater synergy among countries in the gulf of Guinea to fight poverty and enhance intelligence gathering to defeat Boko Haram in the region.
“We need regional dialogue to share experience to understand ourselves better.
“We need to improve on judiciary and build the institution to ensure sustainable development.
“Nigeria and São Tomé share common principles in terms fight against corruption and promoting good governance, " he said.
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