Nigerian businessman and Chairman of Heirs Holdings, Tony Elumelu, has called on the government and security operatives to reveal the identities of those responsible for stealing the country’s crude oil.
In an interview with the Financial Times, Elumelu stated that 18% of Nigeria’s daily crude production, amounting to 42,000 barrels, is stolen.
He emphasized that the government and security agencies should know who is behind the theft and should make the information public.
Elumelu compared the situation to the United States, where authorities quickly identified the background of the person who shot former President Donald Trump.
He questioned why Nigeria’s security agencies cannot do the same to identify those stealing the country’s oil.
The call comes amid the ongoing menace of crude oil theft in Nigeria, with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited recently uncovering 165 illegal refineries in the Niger Delta.
The development has contributed to the crude supply crisis facing the 650,000 barrels per day Dangote Refinery.
