The Nigerian Senate has pledged to come up with stiffer penalties for perpetrators of oil theft and terrorism activities in Nigeria.
President of the Senate Godswill Obot Akpabio expressed the position on Thursday, saying the National Assembly cannot fold its hands watching economic sabotage and non-state actors carrying out heinous crimes against the country.
He said the legislature would consider stiffer penalties for crude oil theft, including terrorism charges for major offenders.
Declaring open a two-day public hearing on the incessant and nefarious acts of crude oil theft in the Niger Delta and the actors at the Senate wing of the National Assembly Senator Akpabio pointed out that the lawmakers would consider stiffer penalties for crude oil theft and terrorism charges for major offenders.
Represented by Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau, the president of the Senate maintained that the parliament cannot watch while the nation bleeds.
He assured of better collaboration between the military, police, NSCDC, EFCC, and international partners to track and intercept stolen crude.
