Oil pipeline sabotage in Nigeria: Dimensions, actors and implications for national security

Abstract

If situated within the Cold War era conceptualisation of national security, oil pipeline sabotage does not seem to fit in properly. However, when viewed from a new paradigm of national security, recent manifestations of oil pipeline sabotage and its implications hold out serous threats for national security in Nigeria. This paper examines the three main dimensions of oil pipeline sabotage in Nigeria, namely oil bunkering, pipeline vandalisation / fuel scooping, and oil terrorism, as well as the actors and objectives behind them. The author argues that if the federal government does not make concerted efforts to contain the rising incidence of oil pipeline sabotage in the country, the capacity of government to discharge its primary responsibility, that is to provide security and development, will be largely compromised. The paper therefore advocates the adoption of stringent measures aimed at enhancing surveillance of the pipelines, the tackling of corruption and the entrenchment of good governance in the country.