SERAP Drags Buhari to Court Over Oil Theft

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By Lucky Isibor



A Civil Society Organisation, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountablility Project (SERAP) has dragged the Muhammadu Buhari administration to ECOWAS Court of Justice over the failure to investigate the operations of illegal oil pipelines between 2001 and 2022, to name those involved and prosecute them, and to recover the proceeds of illegal sales of the nation's common wealth.
Other Plaintiffs in the suit beside SERAP are Eric Dooh, who is filing for himself as a leader of the Goi Community in Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State, and on behalf of Goi Community and 15 other concerned Nigerians.

The suit is coming against the backdrop of recent reports of the discovery of at least 58 illegal oil pipelines used to steal the country's oil wealth. The stealing is reportedly carried out through the illicite pipeline connected to the trunk line via an abandoned pipeline. It is linked to a location in the high sea where they load crude oil into vessels and sell overseas.

In the suit No.ECW/CCJ/APP/53/22 filed Friday, 25 November before the ECOWAS Court of Justice in Abuja, the plaintiffs are seeking, "an order directing and compelling the Buhari government to immediately probe the reports of illegal pipelines and oil theft.

"An order directing and compelling the Buhari government to fully recover any proceeds  of crime, and to respect, protect, and fulfill the human rights of the people of the Niger Delta that have continued to suffer the effects of oil theft by non-state actors."

The plaintiffs in the suit filed on their behalf by their Counsel, Kolawole Oluwadare, contend that "There are violations of the economic and social rights of the people of the Niger Delta including the rights to an adequate standard of living, and to economic and social development - as a consequence of the plundering of the country's resources through the operations of illegal pipelines by non-state actors.
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"The Buhari government has failed to exercise due diligence to prevent and combat oil theft; to investigate and prosecute suspected perpetrators, and recover proceeds of crimes; and to respect, protect, promote and fulfill people's rights."

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