Kayode Egbetokun, the inspector-general of police, has committed the Nigeria Police Force’s (NPF) cooperation to the Senate ad hoc committee on crude oil theft, as part of efforts to combat the pillage of the country’s oil reserves.
Egbetokun made the pledge at a meeting with members of the committee, led by Senator Ned Nwoko of Delta North, at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, on Thursday.
According to Olumuyiwa Adejobi, force public relations officer, the tour was intended to develop inter-agency collaboration to combat crude oil theft across Nigeria’s onshore and offshore sites.
“The inspector-general of police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, PhD, NPM, today, 31st July 2025, received a high-powered delegation from the senate committee on crude oil theft led by the chairman, Senator Ned Nwoko, at the IGP Smart Conference Hall, Force Headquarters, Abuja,” according to a statement.
“This is part of strategic moves to discuss strategies to curb onshore and offshore oil theft in Nigeria.”
Nwoko stated that the committee’s mandate is to assist Nigeria in meeting its oil production targets by preventing widespread crude oil theft.
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He stated that the work could not be completed without the full assistance of the police.
“The chairman stated that the committee’s mandate is to ensure crude oil theft comes to an end so the country’s oil production targets can be met,” according to the report.
“He emphasised that this mandate cannot be achieved by the committee alone without robust collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force, which is critical to combatting the theft of the nation’s crude oil.”
In his response, Egbetokun thanked the committee for their visit and told them that the Force is committed to preserving national assets and prosecuting oil thieves.
“The IGP reiterated the Nigeria Police Force’s dedication to combating crude oil theft, protecting critical national infrastructure, and ensuring the perpetrators of this economic sabotage are brought to justice,” according to the statement.
The police chief instructed the deputy inspectors-general in charge of operations and intelligence to begin working closely with the committee.
According to data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), more than 353 million barrels of crude oil were stolen between 2002 and 2025, totaling more than $25.7 billion.
The Senate Committee stated that it will continue to engage with security agencies to find long-term solutions to this drain on the nation’s budget.
