Eteng Demands Tougher Prosecution of Hydrocarbon Crimes
By Jude OKORO
Sen. Eteng Williams, Chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream), has called for tougher investigation, prosecution, and sentencing of offenders involved in hydrocarbon-sector crimes.
Williams made the call while declaring open a three-day technical workshop on “Enhancing Judicial Deterrence in the Prosecution and Sentencing of Hydrocarbon Sector Crimes,” Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom on Thursday.
He warned that such offences pose serious threats to Nigeria’s revenue, energy security and economic stability.
The workshop, organised by the Directorate of Public Prosecutions of the Federation in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser, brought together judicial officers, prosecutors, security agencies, lawmakers and oil and gas industry stakeholders.
Williams said petroleum-related crimes should no longer be treated merely as economic offences, given their wider implications for national security, environmental protection, government revenue and energy supply.
He said oil theft, sabotage and other crimes within the hydrocarbon sector could weaken the country’s economy and undermine efforts to attract investment into the petroleum industry.
The senator stressed that effective prosecution must go beyond arrests, urging security and justice-sector institutions to strengthen the entire process from detection and investigation to evidence gathering, prosecution, adjudication and sentencing.
“Our objective, therefore, should not simply be more arrests or prosecutions.
“We must strengthen the entire criminal justice chain, from detection and investigation to evidence gathering, prosecution, adjudication and sentencing, while protecting due process and the rights of accused persons,” he said.
Williams said the sophistication of petroleum-related crimes required security and law enforcement agencies to upgrade their capacity to gather and analyse evidence.
He specifically called for stronger forensic capabilities, financial intelligence, digital evidence management, technical expertise and inter-agency collaboration in investigating hydrocarbon crimes.
According to him, effective deterrence can only be achieved when offenders face a justice system capable of successfully investigating cases, securing convictions where evidence supports them and imposing appropriate sentences.
The lawmaker disclosed that the National Assembly had commenced the process of amending the Miscellaneous Offences Act, 1983, and the Petroleum Production and Distribution (Anti-Sabotage) Act, 1975.
He said the proposed amendments were aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s legal framework for tackling hydrocarbon-sector crimes and related offences.
Williams said stronger laws must be complemented by effective enforcement and coordination among security agencies, prosecutors, the judiciary and relevant institutions in the petroleum industry.
The workshop attracted distinguished senators, members of the House of Representatives, a representative of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, senior judicial officers and representatives of the oil and gas industry.
Security and law enforcement agencies represented included the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and Nigerian Navy.
The workshop is expected to examine gaps in the investigation, prosecution and sentencing of hydrocarbon-related offences and develop measures for strengthening judicial deterrence against such crimes.
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