The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday, called for the establishment of a specialized court to prosecute oil theft cases, citing delays in regular courts as a major hindrance to eliminating the crime.
Michael Uzokwe, Chief of Staff to the EFCC Chairman, made the plea during an investigative hearing on crude oil theft in Abuja. He emphasized the need for a dedicated court to facilitate recoveries and fast-track prosecutions.
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In a related development, the Special Committee on Crude Oil Theft has resolved to probe the effectiveness of the Molecular Power System (MPS) oil theft detection system, which has yielded zero recoveries despite a multi-million dollar contract.
Rep. Alhassan Ado-Doguwa, Committee Chairman, announced the formation of a sub-committee to investigate the desirability of continuing with the MPS system. The inquiry will engage with NIMASA and explore ways to minimize and eradicate oil theft in Nigeria.
Rep. Sada Soli questioned the necessity of maintaining the costly MPS system, citing its lack of success since deployment. He also raised concerns about powerful lawyers resisting the loss of retainership fees and queried the Attorney-General’s instruction to pay Nigerian lawyers in dollars.
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