SUSTAINABILITY OF LEGISLATIVE INTERVENTION ON CRUDE OIL THEFT ABATEMENT MEASURES IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Availability, affordability and distribution of energy sources are necessities for sustainable national development. Nigeria  is  the  13thworld’s largest producer of crude oil, yet it is unable to attain energy,  environmental,  social  and  economic  security  due  to  the  adverse  impact  of  crude  oil  theft. Despite  the  enactment  of  several  laws  to  combat  oil  theft  in  Nigeria  such  as  the  Petroleum Production  and  Distribution  (Anti-Sabotage)  Act,  the  Petroleum  Act,  the  Criminal  Code  Act,  the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act, the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Oil  Pipeline  Act,  the  menace  of  oil  theft  and    its  consequential  economic  and  environmental handicap    has  not  abated.  The  aim  of  the  study  therefore  is  to  establish  a  synergy  between  the labyrinth  of  issues  with  the  legal  and  institutional  efforts  geared  towards  oil  theft  managementin Nigeria. The methodology for this research is doctrinal.The finding of the study is that in spite of the  ominous  social,  economic  and  environmental  implication  of  oil  theft  in  Nigeria,  there  is  no comprehensive legislation to address the menace. The extant legislations donot define oil theft but tangentially refer to oil bunkering which is only one of the genres of oil theft. The study further fundthat  the  impunity  with  which  oil  theft  and  related  crimes  persist  is  due  to  the  gaps  in  the legislations,  tax  enforcement  culture  of  regulatory  agencies, and  corruptionamongst  others.The study contributes that oil theft specific legislations with the establishment of mobile courts in flash points is the impetus required for effective oil theft abatement in Nigeria.The study concludes that diversification  of  the  Nigerian  economyfrom  oil  based  to  a  non-oil  resource  based  economy  will reduce the lure of crude oil theft and improve Nigeria’s economic prospects.