EFCC Advocates Special Court To Prosecute Oil Thieves

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has called for the establishment of a Special Court to expedite the prosecution of suspected crude oil thieves and other crimes in the oil and gas industry.

This request was made during the EFCC’s appearance at the House of Representatives Special Committee’s investigative hearing on ‘Crude Oil Theft and other Losses’.

According to EFCC officials, the Commission is facing challenges in prosecuting suspects in regular courts, resulting in delayed justice.

They emphasized the need for a specialized court to ensure speedy prosecution, citing the large number of cases pending in courts, particularly in the Niger Delta region.

EFCC’s Chief of Staff, Michael Uzokwe, noted that the Commission has filed hundreds of cases, but only a small fraction has been successfully prosecuted, with many still ongoing or pending.

He attributed this to bottlenecks in the judicial process, highlighting the need for a special court to address these challenges.

EFCC Director of Investigation,
Abdulkareem Chukkol
corroborated this, stating that Niger Delta commands receive hundreds of complaints related to oil crimes daily.

He noted that the EFCC has taken over 400 cases to court in 2019 and over 200 in 2022, with some cases referred to sister agencies.

During the hearing, EFCC officials clarified that they rarely withdraw cases but instead appeal judgments or seek stays of execution.

They also promised to provide detailed information on the utilization of recovered funds, noting that the President had mentioned the recovery of N100 billion in a recent address.

The Committee Chairman, Alhassan Ado Doguwa, emphasized the need for transparency in recoveries and reiterated the investigation’s aim to forge a common front against oil theft.

He stressed the importance of addressing the challenges in the oil sector to increase production and revenue, noting that the government has the political will to address the problems but is being hindered by years of rot in the oil and gas sector.

Oduyemi Odumade, Edited By Grace Namiji