The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is partnering the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and relevant agencies to curtail petroleum products smuggling and crude oil theft.

Others are Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

A stakeholders’ meeting was held at the NNPC Towers in Abuja, to seal the collaboration.

The Group Managing Director, Mele Kyari said the parley was at the instance of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Kyari disclosed Buhari mandated the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the NNPC, and security agencies to do everything to stop the sabotage in the oil sector.

“Smuggling is not a business that should be condoned because even for deregulated petroleum products, it brings extra cost burden on this country both in terms of safety of supply and securing foreign exchange”, he said.

The GMD noted that with the increasing price of crude oil at the global market and the OPEC+ production cuts, Nigeria cannot afford to shoulder the cost of smuggling.

Kyari confirmed that the NNPC would emplace Advanced Cargo Declaration in line with global best practices to tackle the issue of crude oil theft.

EFCC chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa expressed the readiness of the commission to work with the NNPC to go after economic saboteurs.

The Major Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMA), Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) were represented.

They declared support for federal government’s desire to end petroleum products heist.

Source:- Daily Post

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