NNPCL Boss Warns of Global Syndicates Behind Crude Oil Theft in Africa

|By Adejumo Adekunle

The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Bashir Ojulari, has raised alarm that organised international and continental syndicates are exploiting security loopholes across Africa to steal crude oil.

Ojulari made this disclosure on Monday at the opening of the Africa Chief of Defence Staff Conference in Abuja, stressing that crude theft is not just a Nigerian problem but a continental menace requiring joint military collaboration.

“Crude theft and its attendant illegal activities are by no means a purely localised occurrence; rather, these operations involve specialised international syndicates that take advantage of gaps within the state, national and continental security architecture,” he warned.

The NNPCL chief acknowledged that while pipeline vandalism and crude theft remain persistent in Nigeria’s Niger Delta, ongoing security interventions have curbed their frequency. He noted that strategic collaborations in the energy sector have improved the operating environment, underscoring the need for stronger cross-border defence alliances.

Ojulari, who leads Africa’s largest national oil company, urged military chiefs across the continent to adopt a unified strategy against oil theft, which he described as a growing threat to economic stability and energy security in Africa.