A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, (SAN), Prof. Mike Ozekhome has accused top government officials of being behind the oil theft menace in Nigeria.
Ozekhome also called for deployment of ”strong technology” to stop crude oil theft and piracy in Nigeria.
He made the call on Wednesday while speaking as a panellist at one of the breakout sessions of the ongoing Nigerian Bar Association, (NBA) Annual General Conference at the National Stadium in Abuja
The outspoken SAN also made a case for serious legal reform to put stiffer punishment for crude oil theft to act as a deterrent to others and that government should legalise the illegal refineries that are in the Niger Delta region of the country.
He blamed traditional rulers, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) amongst others for the increase in crude oil they in Nigeria.
The senior lawyer along with other panellists was discussing the topic, “The Impact of Maritime Security Threats on the Nigerian Economy: Nigerian Navy Perspective”.
He said that the Nigerian Navy had the mandate of protecting the territorial waters in the country with sophisticated equipment to carry out the responsibility.
“If you have a security man in your house and thieves invade your house, you will blame the security man.
“The Navy is saddled with the responsibility of protecting our territorial waters from crude oil theft and so it cannot say it is free from theft of crude oil in the country.
“How can the Navy say that they do not know how a huge sea vessel will disappear from the high sea as if it is a spirit?
“These vessels that carry this stolen crude are escorted by security personnel, Who are these personnel; Is it not the Navy that responsibility,” Ozekhome asked.
READ ALSO: Military regimes, grab-and-run democracy are same – Human rights lawyer
He also accused top government officials of crude oil theft, saying that, the issue was like a situation where a non-state actor became more powerful than the state itself.
“The people stealing the oil are government officials in collaboration with the Nigerian Navy. The Navy has the constitutional duty to protect the nation’s territorial waters and all the economic activities therein,” he said.
He called on the navy to name those behind the crude oil theft so that they could be shamed and prosecuted.
He also said Nigerian youths needed to be given employment and empowerment as part of efforts to keep them legally engaged and free from crime.
” How can you arrest a vessel with crude worth billions of naira and only impose a fine of N500,000,” he wondered.
The lawyer called on the government to legalise the illegal refineries in the Niger Delta region of the country to curb illegal refining.
