Forcados oil theft: HURIWA seeks arrest of oil thieves, demands forensic audit of NNPC

Civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), yesterday, called for the arrest of oil thieves responsible for the illegal four-kilometre (km) pipeline “discovered” at the Forcados terminal said to have existed in the last nine years.

“ Trying to absolve his office of responsibility and attempting to indict the past government by saying the Forcados oil theft started nine years ago is another defenceless explanation. One is therefore tempted to ask: Is seven years not enough to uncover the corruption in the sector? Why wait till just a few months till the end of the eight-year regime of Buhari to come up with these startling revelations? Nigerians are not fools!
 
“The disclosure of operatives of Tantita Security Services Limited, the surveillance outfit of ex-militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, on oil theft must be taken seriously and the perpetrators must be arrested by security agents.
 
“It is shameful that after seven years, the Buhari government has not been able to make any of the refineries functional despite bogus campaign promises in 2015 and 2019. The statement by the NNPC that it will end fuel importation by 2023 is a sham.”