Kayode Egbetokun, Inspector-General of Police (IGP), has reaffirmed the Nigeria Police Force’s commitment to tackling the menace of crude oil theft and strengthening human rights accountability within the Force.
He made this known on Wednesday when he hosted two delegations of the Senate Committee on Oil Theft and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
The Senate Committee, led by its Chairman, Ned Nwoko (Senator), met with the IGP to engage the Police leadership on a strategic collaboration to tackle the persistent challenge of onshore and offshore oil theft, which has continued to impact Nigeria’s oil production targets and national revenue.
Senator Nwoko, while addressing the meeting, said the committee was established with a clear mandate to confront and eradicate crude oil theft.
He stressed that achieving this goal would be impossible without the Nigerian Police Force as a critical partner.
“The fight against oil theft is not something the Committee can achieve in isolation.
“We need the full cooperation and operational support of the Nigeria Police Force to protect our oil assets and end the sabotage of our economy”, Nwoko stated
In his response, Egbetokun expressed deep appreciation for the Committee’s efforts and pledged the unwavering support of the Nigeria Police Force.
He noted that oil theft constitutes a serious economic crime and a threat to national security, promising that the Force will intensify efforts to dismantle the syndicates behind it.
The IGP directed the Deputy Inspectors-General of Police in charge of Operations and Force Intelligence to collaborate closely with the Committee in developing and implementing targeted security strategies to curb oil theft and protect vital national assets in that regard.
In a related development, the IGP also received a delegation from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), led by Salamatu Sulaiman, Chairperson of the Governing Council, and Tony Ojukwu, Executive Secretary.
Their visit focused on enhancing cooperation between the Commission and the Police in areas of human rights protection and institutional accountability.
Ojukwu commended the IGP for his proactive handling of complaints against erring officers and for upholding discipline within the Force.
He also lauded the recognition given to exceptional officers such as Sentome Obi (SP), who was named the 2024 Police Officer of the Year, as part of efforts to promote integrity and professionalism in policing.
Egbetokun emphasised the Force’s commitment to human rights, noting that under his leadership, human rights training has been made mandatory across all police training institutions.
He assured the NHRC that the Force would continue to reject practices such as arbitrary arrests, unlawful detention, and the excessive use of force.
“Policing, at its core, is about upholding and protecting the rights of citizens. We welcome constructive criticism and feedback because we believe it helps us improve and better serve the public”, IGP said.
