Nigeria Knows Those Behind Crude Oil Theft and Smuggling, Falana Says

Nigerian lawyer and human rights activist, Mr. Femi Falana disclosed that he has evidence to show that people in government were involved in crude oil theft and smuggling of petroleum products in the country.

In the meantime, Falana has disclosed that he has evidence to show that people in government were involved in crude oil theft and smuggling of petroleum products in the country.

This was just as he threatened to expose those in government behind crude oil bunkering and smuggling cartel.

Falana made the disclosure yesterday, at a two-day leadership retreat organised by Labour Party in Abuja, with the organised labour, captains of industries and other stakeholders both in the private and public sector.

Falana, who spoke at the event titled: ‘Nigeria at Cross Road; Labour Party the Only Option,’ said the government cannot feign ignorance about the identities of criminals in the up and downstream sectors of the country, adding that until this was addressed, ordinary Nigerians would continue to live at the mercy of a few criminals.

He said: “Today the government is thinking of increasing fuel price to N500. I want to say this here publicly, about seven years ago, the government spent a colossal sum of N50 billion to acquire a software by the Petroleum Equalisation Fund to track and monitor all tankers that load fuel in any part of the country.

“Today you are being told Nigerians deserve to be punished because of the criminal activities of a few people. That the government will punish the people because of the criminal activities of a few.

“We have heard now that the Comptroller General of Customs has come out publicly to say that it’s impossible to smuggle daily about 10 million litres of fuel. Where did they pass?

“Nigeria is the only country where the government will come out and say we are losing $7 million every day because of oil theft. Nigeria is the only oil producing nation without data to know how much oil it is producing daily.

“Five hundred tankers loading 36,000 litres of fuel. The NNPC has confirmed that yes, this is what is going on. Who are the oil thieves? They know them. Oil theft, oil snuggling, all have official partner,” said Falana.

He pointed out that there was an organisation called Lloyd, which have records of all oil transactions in the world, saying the federal government has access to that it, “and yet we are saying we don’t know who is stealing our oil or where the oil is being taken to?

“So the government knows and if they want information, we can make it available to the government. If they are sure they want to know those who are stealing us and those who are spoiling our country.

“In 2023 budget, the government said they are going to spend N453 billion on fuel subsidy. By June, the president presented a supplementary budget to the National Assembly that increased the budget to N4 trillion. The National Assembly did not debate, they passed it.

“Now the Minister of Finance is saying that that figure will go to N6.5 trillion, that in the budget of next year, there would be no money for capital project.

“I challenge the Nigerian Labour Congress, TUC and others that you must get to the root of this criminality once and for all. We will decide today. We will set up a committee. I have all the right information to expose all the criminals behind smuggling of fuel and criminal behind oil theft.”

Also speaking, Obi said he was not going to blame past government in the country for their failure when elected president next year, saying he would focus on fixing the economy of the country.

Obi who was welcomed at the event by the founding fathers of Labour Party; its National Chairman, Julius Abure; leadership of the NLC, led by its President, Ayuba Waba; the Trade Union Congress (TUC) Chairman; Prof. Pat Utomi, Sam Amadi, Doyin Okupe, among other dignitaries and party leaders across the 36 states of the federation and the FCT, said his assignment was to solve problems.

He said has no intention to go into government to victimise past leaders, but to address the challenges bedeviling the nation’s economy.

Obi said: “My assignment here is to listen and take note. It would be disappointing and grave bondage to Nigeria’s existence, if Labour goes through this efforts and support somebody to lead this country and it fails. God forbid.

“For me, I want to listen. I want to take note. That note is important to me because I don’t want to give excuses. I don’t want to get in there and start blaming past leaders.

“If they have done better, there wouldn’t have been need to hire me. I am being hired to solve problems, not to remind Nigerians of where they are coming from”

“By the time you ask yourself what is wrong with Nigeria, ASUU has been on strike for seven months. What ASUU is asking for is an agreement entered into since 2009, when I was governor of Anambra State. ASUU is asking for N1.3 trillion. Are we saying Nigeria cannot raise N1.3 trillion to support education in 12 years?

“Our Oil is today being stolen. For oil to be stolen, a ship has to be cleared by the Navy to enter Nigeria’s waters. Who is approving the ship coming in and who is stealing Oil? N1.3 trillion is involved in this shady deals.

“Apart from Venezuela that is facing sanctions, Nigeria is the only OPEC country that is not meeting its quota. In fact, other countries are asking to produce more.”

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