Group Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Bashir Bayo Ojulari, has said that crude oil theft should be recognised as a transnational organised crime, rather than treating it solely as a local issue.
He warned that international and continental criminal syndicates are exploiting security gaps across Africa to steal crude oil, undermining the continent’s energy security.
Ojulari made this known on Monday, August 25, while delivering a goodwill message at the 2025 African Chiefs of Defence Staff Summit in Abuja, themed “Combating Contemporary Threats to Regional Peace and Security in Africa: The Role of Strategic Defence Collaboration.”
According to him, “Crude theft and its attendant illegal activities are by no means a purely localised occurrence.”
He therefore urged stronger collaboration among African military and security agencies, as well as continental cooperation within the continent to protect resources and promote growth.
Ojulari also explained that crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism, in the Niger Delta, are declining due to intensified efforts by security agencies.
He said, “Crude oil and gas pipelines, as well as terminal receipts, which had previously dropped to as low as 20 percent, are now reaching nearly 100 percent thanks to the support of security forces and intelligence agencies.”
Ojulari stated that strategic collaboration with government security agencies has enabled the company to achieve near 100% crude oil pipeline availability, marking a critical milestone for NNPC Ltd. in the fight against crude oil theft.
The NNPC GCEO therefore reaffirmed the company’s commitment to working with military and intelligence agencies in the country and looks forward to broader frameworks emerging from the summit to support Africa’s energy security and shared prosperity.