Senate C’ttee on Crude Oil Meets with NNPC, Investigates Past and Present Oil Losses

The Senate’s ad hoc committee investigating the ongoing theft of Nigerian crude oil expanded its investigation on Tuesday with an oversight visit to the leadership of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC).

Senator Ned Nwoko, the committee’s chairman, spoke after the meeting, stating that the visit was critical in ensuring that the Senate’s final report on crude oil losses is “factual, defensible, and grounded in verifiable data.”

According to Nwoko, the committee has already submitted three interim reports to the Senate, each supported by extensive analysis, expert consultations (both local and international), and credible documentation. The findings, he stated, reveal years of significant revenue leaks in the country’s oil sector.

He explained that the committee’s investigation is not only looking into historical losses, but also assessing current conditions in Nigeria’s upstream operations.

“While the historical challenges are significant, it is equally important to understand what is happening now within NNPC’s upstream operations,” Senator Nwoko said.

During the session with NNPC officials, the committee pressed for clarity on past operational lapses that enabled large-scale crude theft and revenue loss. It also assessed ongoing reforms aimed at stabilising production and protecting critical pipeline infrastructure.

Nwoko said the committee’s objective is to reconcile documented past losses with present-day operational data to determine how effective the current mitigation measures have been.

The findings from this phase of engagement, he added, will form an integral part of the committee’s final report to the Senate.