NNPC Partners Security Agencies to Control Smuggling

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation has said it was collaborating with relevant law enforcement agencies to curb the menace of petroleum products smuggling and crude oil theft.

NNPC, noting that the partnership was also with relevant downstream and upstream stakeholders, named the law enforcement agencies to include the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Department of State Services, Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Customs Service and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

The Group Managing Director, NNPC, Mele Kyari, said in a statement that the move was at the instance of the President Muhammadu Buhari, who mandated the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, NNPC, EFCC and all other security agencies to do everything to stop crude oil theft and illicit truck-out of petroleum products.

Kyari also described the menace as major economic crimes hindering the country from enjoying the benefits of subsidised petroleum products.

“We all agree that smuggling is not a business that should be condoned because even for deregulated petroleum products, it brings extra cost burden on this country both in terms of safety and security of supply and in securing of foreign exchange.

“It even constitutes more burden to this country when the product involved is a regulated product like Premium Motor Spirit.

“We all know that our daily consumption is not up to 60 million litres. We all know that, and that is why we have to pull it down. We will pull it down by every means necessary,” Kyari stated.

He said NNPC would implement advanced cargo declaration in line with global best practices to tackle the issue of crude oil theft in the country stressing that it was obvious to all that the volume of petrol was not consumed by Nigerians alone.