Key Points

• Oil mafia stronger than drug cartels.

• Oil mafia caused $82 million refinery losses.

• Oil mafia cripples national oil infrastructure.

Aliko Dangote has renewed his warning that entrenched oil theft syndicates pose a bigger threat to Nigeria’s economy than drug cartels, saying criminal networks operating across the energy sector are actively undermining local refining and infrastructure.

On Sunday, the billionaire businessman spoke at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lekki. He said that years of sabotage have cost his facility at least $82 million, which has forced him to spend a lot of money on security and revealed deeper structural weaknesses in Nigeria’s oil and gas value chain.

Dangote’s remarks highlight the scale of challenges confronting Africa’s largest refinery as Nigeria pushes to end decades of fuel imports and retain more value from its crude production.

The oil mafia is more powerful than drug cartels

Dangote said that the oil mafia is harder to fight than drug trafficking groups because it is so big and has so many connections. Unlike drug trafficking rings, he said, oil theft networks include actors embedded across production, logistics and infrastructure.

According to him, the scale of participation and insider knowledge makes sabotage persistent and difficult to eliminate, even with heightened surveillance and enforcement.

Refinery losses show how the oil mafia works

Dangote said stolen equipment and deliberate damage at the Lekki refinery were designed to trigger large insurance claims, a move that would raise long-term operating costs through higher premiums.

He disclosed that at least $82 million worth of assets have been lost so far, adding that the facility now employs more security personnel than production workers to safeguard operations.

Oil mafia cripples national oil infrastructure

Beyond the refinery, Dangote pointed to Nigeria’s broader pipeline network, saying decades-old depots and distribution lines have been systematically vandalised.

He said pipelines linking 22 depots nationwide have been destroyed, leaving fuel distribution dependent on road transport and further weakening energy efficiency and security.