CRUDE OIL THEFT, ILLEGAL BUNKERING AND PIPELINE VANDALISM IN NIGERIA’S NIGER DELTA: SCOPE, ACTORS AND CAUSES.

¹Fidelis A. E. Paki & ²Tano Dumoyei Agusomu

¹Department of Political Science, Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island 560001, Nigeria.

²Department of Geography & Environmental Management, Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island 560001, Nigeria.

Email: paki_fae@yahoo.com, dumoyei@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT

This paper examined crude oil theft, illegal bunkering and pipeline vandalism in Nigeria’s Niger Delta, with the object to discover the scope, actors and causes. The paper relied on secondary sources of data. The finding shows that crude oil theft, illegal bunkering and pipeline vandalism in the Niger Delta is now taking place on an industrial scale and involves commodity traders, international criminals and a whole network of people has since been acknowledged. Similarly, barons and boys, local people, security agents, refinery operators and international actors involving foreign nationals, international oil companies and foreign nation-states collaborate to commit the crimes in the Niger Delta. Furthermore, it was revealed that the causes of crude oil theft, illegal bunkering and pipeline vandalism were poor natural resources governance, failure to curb the lingering Niger Delta crisis and the militarization of the region, among others. It therefore suggested that the country should intensify its efforts to curb the crimes.

Keywords: Crude oil theft; Illegal bunkering; Niger Delta; Nigeria; Pipeline vandalism