The House of Representatives has resolved to probe circumstances that led to the setting ablaze of an oil vessel allegedly involved in oil theft by security operatives in Warri, Delta State.

This followed the adoption of a motion on urgent national importance moved by Onofiok Luke (PDP-Akwa-Ibom) at the plenary in Abuja on Wednesday.

The motion was entitled, ‘Urgent need to investigate circumstances of the setting ablaze of oil vessel allegedly involved in oil theft by security operatives’.

Luke said oil theft was a problem that had existed for a long time in the Niger Delta, adding that it caused serious environmental degradation in the region.

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He said it had equally negatively impacted on the revenue generation of Nigeria causing the country to lose 470,000 barrels of crude oil per day amounting to $700 million monthly.

The lawmaker stated that it was the estimate by the NNPC and that there had been several news reports that high-powered technology was applied in the theft of crude oil.

Luke cited the recently-discovered four-kilometre illegal pipeline stretching from the Forcados oil terminal into the sea with as much as 200 barrels of crude oil reported to have been stolen daily since 2014.

He said the responsiveness of the private security firm, Tantita Security Services, in curbing oil theft led to apprehending an illegal oil hunkering vessel and handing same to a security agency.

Luke expressed worry about the reported destruction of the said vessel by security operatives instead of using the same as evidence for prosecution purposes.

The House resolved to urgently investigate the destruction of the vessel allegedly by security operatives instead of preserving it as court evidence.

The Star