By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The House of Representatives Special Committee on Crude Oil Theft has called for the establishment of a special court to fast-track the prosecution of crude oil thieves and other economic saboteurs, saying weak laws and delays in the judicial process have continued to undermine efforts to curb oil theft in Nigeria.

The proposal was made at a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja on Thursday, where lawmakers, security agencies and officials from the Office of the National Security Adviser reviewed the country’s legal framework for tackling crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism and related offences.

The meeting forms part of the committee’s ongoing consultations on legislative and institutional measures to address crude oil theft, which has continued to reduce government revenue, cut oil production, discourage investment and threaten Nigeria’s energy security despite years of security operations.

Chairman of the committee, Alhassan Doguwa, said participants agreed on the need to review existing laws, arguing that many of the statutes governing the sector date back to the military era and no longer provide adequate deterrence against increasingly sophisticated criminal networks.

“We have also recommended in previous bills before the House the possibility of establishing a special court for these kinds of crimes because the crimes themselves are special.

“If we allow these criminal cases to go through the conventional court system, considering the delays involved, many of them will remain unresolved while the criminals escape appropriate punishment,” he said.

He said the committee and stakeholders had agreed to work together to address legal and institutional bottlenecks hampering the fight against crude oil theft.

“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. For this reason, we believe Nigeria should also review some of its laws,” he added.

Doguwa noted that courts are still relying on outdated legislation enacted during military rule to prosecute offences in the oil and gas sector.

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

“I want to assure Nigerians that the National Assembly, especially the House of Representatives through this committee, will partner with the Office of the National Security Adviser to effectively combat crude oil theft and every other criminal activity within the oil and gas environment,” he added.

The lawmaker said Nigeria’s crude oil production remains below budget projections because of persistent theft and pipeline vandalism, stressing that reversing the trend is essential to improving government revenue and restoring investor confidence.

He noted that representatives of the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Air Force, Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps attended the meeting, describing inter-agency collaboration as critical to addressing the challenge.

Doguwa, however, criticised the absence of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission from the meeting, describing it as disappointing.

“It was rather unfortunate that some of the critical regulatory agencies in the oil and gas sector, particularly the NUPRC, neither attended nor sent representatives.

“We frown at that action and have directed the Clerk of the Committee to write to them, requiring them to appear before the committee because they are key stakeholders in the fight against this serious problem bedevilling our country,” he added.

A member of the committee, Cyril Hart, said the committee’s mandate extends beyond tackling crude oil theft to ensuring Nigeria’s oil assets are fully developed for national benefit.

He said operators that fail to develop oil blocks within stipulated timelines should also be held accountable.

Representing the National Security Adviser, the Director of Energy Security in the Office of the National Security Adviser, Goodluck Ilajufi, said stronger legislation had become necessary because existing penalties were no longer serving as effective deterrents.

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, who allegedly paraded himself as the Director-General of the non-existent Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council and Presidential Economic Advisory Council, Thursday, denied any wrongdoing, insisting that Chief of Staff to the President, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, was aware of his appointment. ExecutiveBranch

Adeyemi, who is facing allegations of impersonation and related offences, said the matter was already before a court and expressed confidence that he would be vindicated.

He spoke on Politics Today, a Channels TV programme, through a telephone interview. Asked whether he was running away from the law, he said: “Not at all.” Politics

Asked whether he was ready to face the law, he said: “Definitely, if I am wrong, let the court of law do that; if I am right, let the court of law do the right thing. Do you know what? Since the matter is in the court, let the court of competent jurisdiction vindicate me because I am ready to clear my name. Let the court take its course. Since my lawyers are involved, everybody will follow us, they will monitor the whole thing. Let the court of competent jurisdiction do the needful. I have a letter of appointment. However, since the matter is in the court, I won’t be able to say much about it, I am on medication. I am a bit down, I am sick.”

Asked whether he is a criminal, he said: “No, I am not a criminal. However, the court will do justice to that.”

On whether Gbajabiamila has knowledge about his appointment, he said: “Yes.”

On whether he got the confirmation of appointment through Gbajabiamila’s office, he said: “Yes, let the court vindicate all those things.”

On his message to Nigerians regarding the issue, he said: “I want Nigerians to know that, for one second, let us assume the agency does not exist, would I have the temerity, the audacity, to be going all over the country, meeting the head of ministry, department and agency, if I know that the agency does not exist, or as they allege me that I cooked up everything? No Nigerian can dare do that. I could not have summoned the courage to be going from one place to another for almost three years. Nigeria is not a banana republic.”

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The war drums have fallen silent in the Middle East. The Strait of Hormuz is once again open for business, and global crude oil prices have crashed back to earth, settling at $71 per barrel even lower than the pre-war price of $75.

But on the bustling streets of Nigeria, a different kind of tension is simmering. For millions of Nigerians, especially commercial drivers and commuters, the economic ceasefire has yet to arrive. While the global price of crude the primary component of petrol has dropped by over 90% from its wartime peak, the price at Nigerian pumps remains stubbornly high.

Petrol, which sold for an average of ₦750 before the war, shot up to as much as ₦1,500 during the crisis. Now, with the crisis over, it has only marginally dropped to hover between ₦1,250 and ₦1,350 per litre, leaving a bitter taste in the mouths of citizens who feel they are being punished for a conflict they had no part in.

Our reporter went to the streets of Mararaba and Abuja to speak with the men and women on the frontlines of this daily struggle the Okada riders and the motorists to ask the question on everyone’s lips: “How much have you bought fuel recently, and what price do you really want the government to reduce it to?”

At a busy bus stop in Mararaba-Karu axis, we met three Okada riders who spoke with a palpable sense of exhaustion.

Nura wiped the sweat from his brow as he recounted his daily expenses.

“Just this morning, I bought fuel for ₦1,300 per litre at a NNPC station. At the filling station by the junction, they are selling for ₦1,450,” he said, shaking his head in disbelief. “Do you know how many trips I have to make to pay for that? Before this madness, I was buying at ₦780. With ₦5,000, I could move my family and still have change. Now? ₦5,000 doesn’t even fill the tank of my motorcycle.”

When asked what price he wants the government to reduce it to, Emeka didn’t hesitate.

“We are not robots. We have families. The government should reduce it to ₦700 per litre. That is where it was. Why should we suffer for America and Israel’s fight? We didn’t ask them to fight. The war is over, so let the price come back to normal. We want ₦700 so we can eat again.”

Suleiman, an Okada rider operating in the Nyanya area of Abuja, echoed the sentiment, his voice laced with frustration as he parked his bike under a tree to escape the heat.

“I bought fuel yesterday for ₦1,400. The marketers say it’s because of ‘exchange rates’ and ‘transportation.’ But did the exchange rate crash during the war? No! When the war started and the price shot up, they said it was because of ‘global factors.’ Now the global factors are gone, but the price is still here. It doesn’t make sense to a simple man like me.”

Suleiman’s demand is precise and measured.

“I want the government to listen to us. I want them to reduce the price to ₦800 per litreI am not asking for the exact price from before, because I know things are hard. But ₦1,400 is a killer. I want ₦800. That is the only way I can survive. If they don’t, I will have to leave this job. It no longer pays.”

Isah Audu, a young rider who navigates through the traffic in the streets of Mararaba said he recently paid a staggering ₦1,500 at one NNPC filling station just to get a few litres to keep him going for the day.

“I wanted to cry, honestly. ₦1,500 and the tank wasn’t full. I had to borrow money from my friend to make up the rest. My passengers are complaining that I am increasing the fare, but what do they want me to do? Fly the bike?”

For Isah, the price of fuel is a matter of survival.

“We are seeing the news. We see that oil is now $71 per barrel. It is lower than before the war! So why is our price still high? It is an insult to our intelligence. The government should reduce the pump price to ₦650 or ₦700. That is the true reflection of the market. If they don’t, they are telling us that our lives do not matter.”

While the Okada riders speak of survival, the motorists speak of managing a household on a burning budget. We spoke to two women whose cars have become a burden.

Isa bella said she has had to drastically cut down on her driving.

“I now buy fuel in ‘units.’ I went to the station yesterday and bought ₦10,000 worth of petrol. The meter read that it was at ₦1,250 per litre. I looked at the pump and almost drove away. But where would I go? I had to buy it because I needed to take my children to school and get to work. Before the war, that ₦10,000 would have almost filled my tank. Now, it’s just a pittance.”

Isa bella who represents the many middle-class women struggling to keep their homes running, made a passionate plea.

“I am begging this government to please look at the formula they are using. If crude oil is $71, what is the justification for ₦1,250? I want the government to reduce petrol to ₦750 per litre. That is a fair price. It allows us to budget. It allows us to survive. We can’t keep adjusting our lives while the government adjusts the price only upwards. When it goes down globally, it must come down here. It is only fair.”

On the other hand was Amara who said the high cost of fuel is draining her salary.

“I try to manage, but it is so hard. I filled my tank last week, and it cost me ₦48,000 at a rate of ₦1,300 per litre. I was horrified. I had to use my food money. I am a single lady trying to make it in Abuja, and this fuel price is setting me back. I spend more on fuel than on my rent at this point.”

For Amara, the price reduction isn’t just a request; it’s a necessity to support a generation that feels economically choked.

“I don’t understand the economics, but I know the principle is wrong. The price was low, it went high because of war, and the war is over. Simple mathematics. I want the government to reduce the pump price to ₦700 per litre. That is what I can afford. That is what will allow me to save money and have a life. ₦1,300 is a punishment, and we did nothing wrong.”

The voices of Nura, Suleiman, Isah, Isabella, and Amara represent the mood of a nation grappling with an economic contradiction.

While the government and oil marketers cite issues like the depreciating Naira and the cost of shipping as factors keeping prices high, the average Nigerian is unwilling to accept that logic.

Why Is The Situation Always Like This?

Speaking with an economist on why such situations continue to prevail in the commodity market, especially here in Nigeria, Mr. Olalekan explained that “crude prices retrace quickly, damaged or underutilized refining capacity, shipping disruption, higher insurance costs, and inventory replacement can continue affecting diesel, freight, petrochemicals, packaging, manufacturing costs, and ultimately consumer prices over the following months.”

He added that, “markets tend to price expectations immediately, but supply chains deliver reality later. Mr. Olalekan concluded by drawing a simple illustration where he argued that the fluctuating price saga of crude oil is due to uncertainty with which manufacturers see things from the ordinary person. “What if tomorrow the war starts again, what are these manufacturers going to do with the products that they had the price reduced because of a temporary announcement of affairs?”, he questioned. “Tomorrow, Trump or the Iranian Leaders may start another war, on the basis that one doesn’t abide by the laid down agreements.” So for the price to come down, it will take time. That’s the simple answer”, he said.

As the day ends, the lines at the few filling stations selling at slightly lower prices only grow longer. Okada riders like Emeka will make a few more trips, hoping to earn enough for tomorrow’s fuel. Motorists like Funke will do the mental arithmetic, trying to figure out how to stretch the petrol in her tank until her next paycheck.

But one question lingers in the hot, humid air: If the war is over, why is the hardship in Nigeria just beginning? For millions, the answer is simple: the global ceasefire came months ago, but the “government ceasefire” on high fuel prices is yet to be declared.