The House of Representatives’ special committee on crude oil theft has called for the amendment of outdated laws in the oil and gas sector to reflect current realities.

The chairman of the committee, Alhassan Doguwa (All Progressives Congress-Kano), made the call at a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja on Friday.

He said updated laws will deal with saboteurs and crude oil thieves wreaking havoc in the oil and gas sector.

According to him, the activities of these criminals undermine the country’s socio-economic development and national security.

Mr Doguwa said the review of existing legislation had become necessary to make penalties commensurate with the gravity of the offences.

According to him, weak legislation dating back to the military era has become outdated and has emboldened criminals because the prescribed penalties are too lenient to deter repeat offences.

“The global oil and gas economy is now in an advanced stage. Virtually all oil-producing countries are making progress because they have provided effective legal instruments to address their challenges, and we believe Nigeria should also review some of its laws.

“Some may ask what happens to the Petroleum Industrial Act (PIA). This has nothing to do with the PIA. The PIA merely addresses the fundamentals and basic principles of doing business within the global oil economy. None of its commitments or provisions will be affected.

“However, we still have old legislation, some dating back to the military era, including military decrees and orders, which are still being applied at various levels. The courts have no option but to rely on those laws.

“Unless we provide new measures, new laws and a new legal framework, the courts will continue to rely on these obsolete legislations in handling serious criminality within Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.

“We must not forget that our daily crude oil production target in the budget remains below expectations. Until we address this problem, our production projections may continue to fall short,” he said.

He assured Nigerians that the National Assembly will partner with the Office of the National Security Adviser to effectively combat crude oil theft and other criminal activities in the oil and gas sector.

Earlier in his presentation, the National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, said many people previously believed crude oil losses resulted mainly from ageing pipelines that required replacement.

Mr Ribadu, represented by the director of energy security, Goodluck Ilajufi, requested the National Assembly’s support to deal with criminals in the sector.

“Specifically, we seek your support in strengthening the punishment regime for thieves, vandals and other criminal elements.

“My experience in the field is that after enormous state resources are spent arresting and prosecuting these criminals, the punishment they eventually receive is almost meaningless.

“A judge may sentence someone to five years imprisonment with an option of a N100,000 fine or even six months imprisonment, and that makes a mockery of the entire process.

“In some instances, suspects simply plead guilty because they already know the punishment will be lenient.

“We, therefore, require amendments to legislation such as the Miscellaneous Offences Act, particularly Section 107 relating to tampering with petroleum infrastructure and Section 118 relating to adulteration of petroleum products.

“If these laws are not strengthened, the deterrent effect will remain weak,” he said.

(NAN)