Nigerian Govt inaugurates committee to dispose stolen petroleum products

The Nigerian Government has inaugurated an Inter-Ministerial Committee to ensure effective and efficient management and disposal of illegally refined petroleum products recovered from creeks around the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.

The mechanism also known as Standard Operating Procedure, SOP, is expected to detect, report, evacuate and ensure transparent disposal of the products, taking into consideration of the environment.

Solicitor General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Umar Mohammed during the inauguration said members of the committee are drawn from the relevant MDAs whose mandate relates to defence, security, petroleum, environment and asset recovery.

‘’ It is also my hope that the proceeds from this exercise will be a source of additional revenue for the country’’

‘’The Federal Ministry of Justice shall co-ordinate the process and house the secretariat of the inter-ministerial committee’’ he added.

The Solicitor General of the Federation also said, ‘’the content of SOP is drawn from the provision of the Asset Tracing, Recovery and Management Regulations 2019’’

Members of the committee are;

Federal Ministry of Justice

Defence Headquarters

Ministry of Defence

Nigerian Army

Nigerian Navy

Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps

Department of Petroleum Resources

National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency

Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation

Dominica Nwabufo