Tony Elumelu, founder and chairman of Heirs Energies, has called on the Nigerian government and security agencies to reveal the identities of those responsible for stealing the country’s crude oil.
Gatekeepers News reports that Elumelu, in an interview with the Financial Times, expressed frustration over the lack of transparency and action on oil theft.
“Who is behind the theft? It’s a question that has confounded many Nigerians,” Elumelu said. “This is oil theft, we’re not talking about stealing a bottle of Coke you can put in your pocket. The government should know, they should tell us.”
Elumelu emphasised the need for energy security, citing the country’s inadequate electricity supply for its 200 million citizens.
He also shared his experience with oil theft, which led to the shutdown of his company’s production in 2022.
“How can we be losing over 95% of oil production to thieves?” Elumelu tweeted in frustration.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has declared a state of emergency on crude oil production, vowing to tackle the challenges affecting the country’s oil production.
