Assessing socio-economic impacts of crude oil theft on Bayelsa State’s Communities

Nigeria has recently experienced an upsurge of crude oil theft in the Niger Delta region. This has constituted a major threat to socioeconomic activities in the region particularly Bayelsa State. There is no gainsaying that Crude oil theft in Bayelsa is not just a crime, it is a symptom of broken social contracts. It was against this background that this study employed Merton’s Strain Theory is to assess socio-economic impacts of crude oil theft on Bayelsa State’s Communities. The objectives of the study appraised societal costs of crude oil theft and prospects of curbing crude oil theft in Bayelsa State, Nigeria. The study engaged mixed methods research approach, administered questionnaires and data sourcing on 371 participants as designed by Taro Yamani sampling technique on estimated population of 2,277,900 in Bayelsa State. Primary data obtained for the study was analysed using descriptive statistics. Findings identified negative societal perceptions of regarding oil theft not only as a socioeconomic coping strategy but also as a better and honourable option than armed robbery, kidnapping, sea pirate, prostitution drug trafficking and cultism which compromised personal security. Findings from the study also revealed that communities have no confidence in sole government security agencies joint task forces that lacks both community and private security surveillance company involvement due to military complicity in oil theft in Bayelsa State. The study concluded that crude oil theft significantly compromised socioeconomic activities in Bayelsa State. The study recommended that all tiers of government SouthSouth Development Commission, Bayelsa State and all LGAs should deepen the deployment of community-based surveillance systems involving locals and private security consultant to detect and report illegal bunkering activities, by Involve host communities in oil pipeline protection through benefit-sharing schemes. The study also recommended that all tiers of government particularly the Bayelsa State government should develop and incentivised alternative livelihood programs in fishing, farming, and small-scale enterprises to disincentivize illegal oil theft.