Crude oil thieves days are numbered – CDS Musa vows

The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, says the days of crude oil thieves are numbered.

He assured that the military was taking steps to crack down on the crude oil thieves.

Speaking to newsmen on Friday after he briefed President Bola Tinubu at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, he lamented that for over two decades, Nigeria, one of Africa’s largest oil producers, has grappled with a significant oil theft challenge.

CDS Musa also assured Nigerians that the military would play its part to ensure that the country meets its crude oil production target of 2.1 million barrels per day.

He vowed, “For the criminals, those that are hell-bent on stealing our infrastructure, stealing our crude for whatever reasons, their days are numbered they should be rest assured that we are coming after them.”

CDS Musa lamented that the country loses an estimated 200,000 barrels of oil per day to theft, representing about 10% of its daily production, explaining that it occurs primarily through pipeline vandalism and illegal bunkering, where oil is siphoned off and sold in the black market.