OIL THEFT AND PIPELINE VANDALISM IN POST AMNESTY NIGER DELTA OF NIGERIA: IMPLICATION ON NATIONAL SECURITY

ABSTRACT There has been persistent increase of oil theft and pipeline vandalism in the Niger Delta in recent times. This is occurring in the post amnesty era where one expects a drastic reduction in the incident following the granting of amnesty to the Niger Delta militants in 2009. Presently, oil theft and pipe-line vandalism appear to be on the rise again. Oil theft and pipeline vandalism have greatly increased and piracy seems to be an important aspect of it. Nigeria has been tagged the most country plagued by oil vandals and theft among her contemporaries of Indonesia, Russia, Iraq, Venezuela and Mexico. More than 300,000 barrels of crude oil are stolen from Nigerian pipelines daily the activities of these groups have dire consequences for Nigeria national security. This is because oil is the major catalyst that drives the Nigerian economy and by implication, the determinant of its entire sociopolitical configuration. Consequently anything that convertly or overtly affects oil production in Nigeria poses a direct threat to her national economy, political stability and national security.The objectives of this study is therefore to examine oil theft and pipeline vandalism in the post amnesty Niger Delta of Nigeria with special focus on its implications for national security. The study utilized secondary data sourced from textbooks, journals, magazines, newspapers and the internet Among the findings if the study is that the most popular method for stealing crude oil is to puncture the pipelines conveying the product from one point to the other and tap it at the point where it had been punctured or ruptured. The study also found that poverty, corruption, unemployment, inordinate ambition to amass wealth, presence of an established international market for stolen Niger delta oil, weak institutional structures to checkmate criminals, loss of local livelihood such as fishing and farming due to oil pollution influence of arms and gang groups are the major factor encouraging oil theft and pipeline vandalism in the Niger Delta ,of Nigeria. This study intends to use the period between 2021 to 2024 a period of three years to examine the implication of oil theft and pipeline vandalism in the post amnesty era.In conclusion, this study examine the situating factors encouraging oil theft and pipeline vandalism in the post amnesty Niger Delta region, the measures adopted by security officials in combating oil thefts and pipeline vandalism, the possible solutions to combat the menace in the Niger Delta region Pipelines vandals and oil thieves including government officials aiding them should me made to face the law. The study therefore recommended that the government of Nigeria should take the development of the Niger Delta as a matter of