Senate Tasks Security Chiefs, Judiciary On Trial Of Oil Thieves, Bandits
The Senate on Monday tasked security chiefs and the judiciary to ensure prompt trial of Oil thieves and bandits apprehended so far.
The President of the Senate , Ahmad Lawan made this charge when the leadership of the Senate met with heads of security agencies including service chiefs and the inspector general of police at the National Assembly complex in Abuja.
The meeting was a follow -up to the previous engagement held on the 3rd August, 2022 on the prevailing security situation in the country.
At the meeting, the Senate President appealed to the judiciary to give special consideration to cases involving oil theft and bandits in the interest of the economic development of the country.
“While we fight the insecurity in the country, sometimes we capture bandits alive, does who have made every effort to steal our oil at an industrial scale I’m sure some of them may not be lucky to escape.
“We want to see trials of people who are caught because when this happens, citizens will know that nobody, no matter how highly that person is, can go Scot free if he or she decides to get involved in this kind of criminal activity.
“Of course, I will appeal to our courts, the judiciary, once we have cases like this, we must give expeditious consideration. Because these are the issues that today, are militating against our stability and even against our democracy.
“We loose so much of our fuel. As at the last count, the report was that we export just little above 900,000 barrels and that is just about 50 per cent. It is supposed to be 1.8 million barrels per day and that is having our revenues and resources for development.
“I want to appeal to the judiciary to give a special consideration, once an oil thief is taken to court, we must prosecute them.
“It’s not enough just take away whatever they have stolen and say go and sin no more”. Lawan said.
The president of the Senate however expressed happiness over the improvement of security situation in the country.
Those who were with the Senate President at the interactive session which later went into a closed door are the Deputy President of the Senate , Senator Ovie Omo – Agege , the Senate Leader , Senator Ibrahim Gobir , the Chief Whip , Senator Orji Uzor Kalu and the Deputy Senate Leader Senator Robert Ajayi Boroffice .
Others were the Deputy Whip of the Senate , Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi , the Minority Whip , Senator Chukwuka Utazi , Chairman , Senate Committee on Navy , Senator Thompson Sekibo , Chairman , Senate Committee on Air Force , Senator Bala Ibn Na ” Allah etc .
