The House of Representatives Special Committee on Crude Oil Theft has urged the creation of a dedicated court to handle cases of crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism and related economic crimes, arguing that Nigeria’s conventional judicial system is too slow and outdated to deter offenders.

At a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja, the committee met with security agencies and officials from the Office of the National Security Adviser to review the legal framework governing the oil and gas sector. Participants agreed that many of the laws currently in use were enacted under military rule and no longer reflect the scale or sophistication of modern oil-related crimes.

Committee chairman Alhassan Doguwa said the panel has repeatedly recommended a special court in previous legislative proposals, insisting that crude oil theft is a “special” crime that demands a tailored judicial response. Allowing such cases to pass through the regular courts, he warned, means many prosecutions drag on for years, giving suspects room to evade justice.

Doguwa stressed that Nigeria is losing vital revenue and investment as crude oil production remains below budget projections, largely due to persistent theft and vandalism. He argued that a stronger legal regime, backed by swift and certain punishment, is essential to restoring investor confidence and safeguarding national energy security.

The meeting was attended by representatives of the Nigerian Army, Navy, Air Force, Police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, with lawmakers highlighting inter-agency cooperation as central to any lasting solution. However, Doguwa criticised the absence of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, describing its failure to attend or send a representative as unacceptable and directing the committee clerk to summon the agency.

Committee member Cyril Hart noted that the panel’s mandate goes beyond stopping theft to ensuring that oil assets are fully developed for national benefit, including holding operators accountable when they fail to develop allocated oil blocks within agreed timelines.

Goodluck Ilajufi, Director of Energy Security in the Office of the National Security Adviser, backed calls for tougher legislation, saying existing penalties no longer serve as a deterrent. The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, represented by Assistant Commandant General David Idowu, also endorsed the proposed special court, arguing it would speed up trials and ensure appropriate sanctions.

Nigeria has long battled crude oil theft, illegal refining and pipeline vandalism, particularly in the Niger Delta, where these activities have damaged infrastructure, polluted the environment and cost the country billions of dollars in lost revenue. Stakeholders at the meeting agreed that without a modern legal framework and a specialised court, enforcement gains will remain fragile and short-lived.