NNPC Requests Police Protection For Oil Facilities After Losing $243m To Oil Theft

Joseph Dawha, Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has asked for police assistance in protecting Nigeria’s crude oil infrastructure and pipelines according to a statement issued by Police Public Relations Officer, Emmanuel Ojukwu. According to an article in the Punch today Dawha has also asked Mr. Suleiman Abba, Acting Inspector-General of Police for vigilance in protecting NNPC personnel against security threats.

According to a report issued by NNPC last year, it lost an estimated $243 million to oil pipeline vandalism and siphoning.The requests for increased police protection come at a time when the NNPC itself has been accused of fiscal mismanagement and embezzlement. Most notably, Lamido Sanusi, former central bank governor last year accused NNPC of diverting 75% of total crude oil proceeds or $49.5 billion proceeds from the nation’s coffers for the fiscal year June 2012-July 2013.

Previous audits found that the NNPC over-deducted allowances from the government in subsidy claims amounting to N 28.5 billion between 2007 and 2009.

Is this good that Police should always on check as against this Crude Oil theft at the stations where the Pipelines crossed over?  Send us your comments....