The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is proposing the establishment of a specialised court dedicated to handling cases of crude oil theft.
Advocating for the establishment of the court on Wednesday, the Director of Investigation of the Commission, Abdulkarim Chukkol, stated that in 2019, over 400 cases were brought to court, with an additional 200 prosecutions occurring in 2022.
Chukkol is of the opinion that the creation of a special court and the amendment of the agency’s legal framework would enhance EFCC’s ability to combat crude oil theft.
In June, Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Limited, urged the judiciary to assist in addressing the challenges of crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism by establishing a specialised court to handle cases related to these offences or to expedite hearings for such cases.
Kyari expressed concern that despite the benefits of the Petroleum Industry Act, they have been significantly reduced due to crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism.
“In particular, is the recommendation that a special court be created to try those offences as they hinge on our survival as a country, and/or for such trials to be conducted under an accelerated hearing process by the issuance of Practice Directions to that effect, with concomitant sanctions to deter would-be offenders,” Kyari stated.