NEWS

Nigerian Army, Navy behind oil theft in Niger Delta — Asari Dokubo

June 16, 2023

A Niger Delta activist, Asari Dokubo, has said that some personnel of the Nigerian Army and Navy were responsible for oil theft in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.

Mr Dokubo stated this on Friday while addressing State House Correspondents after meeting President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

“The Army and Navy are behind oil theft. They intimidate civil defence, who are by law expected to protect installations. They tap directly from the oil head. What has been happening in the last eight years is unprecedented anywhere in the world,” he said.

Mr Dokubo alleged that officers and men of the army and navy deployed to protect oil installations instead of that “set up facilities they call local refineries. This is a crime against humanity.

“The livelihood of the people is being destroyed. The main culprits are the army and navy. There are notorious army commanders who are known to be the ones behind oil bunkering.

Mr Dokubo, however, said with the election of Mr Tinubu and the support he enjoys from people like him and many others, “there will be zero oil theft in the Niger Delta”.

He stated that “there are powerful persons based in Abuja that are behind it, but in President Tinubu, they have met their match. Many people will find their way to Kuje.”

Mr Dokubo said he has been “very close to the president for over 30 years” and that he received assurances that Mr Tinubu will “take decisive action to make sure that this does not continue”.

The Niger Delta activist said he had already been offering services to the Nigerian government, which led to the relative peace being enjoyed along the Abuja/Kaduna expressway.

“I have volunteered to assist to do the things that are necessary to stop the evil going on. There are full-scale wars going on in different parts of this country.

“The blackmail of the Nigerian state by the military is shameful. They are lying to say that they don’t have equipment. I am a participant in this war; I side with the government of Nigeria.

“Kaduna-Abuja is free now not because of the army; it is my men stationed in Niger State.

“We don’t even have 1 per cent armament deployed by the Nigerian Army, and we have resounding success. This blackmail must stop. They have enough armaments; instead of fighting, they are busy making money.

“Where is the Dogo today, he has been served the dish that he has been serving others.

“One individual is carrying two magazines of AK 47 ammunition and succeeding. The Army carry 20 to 30 in their vehicles. On slight attacks, they will abandon these ammunition to the bandits,” he said.

Also Read: Don’t Release Nnamdi Kanu, Asari Dokubo Tells Tinubu

Mr Dokubo said that things would return to normal under Mr Tinubu.

“We have never had anyone like him running for this position. All the forces of evil and darkness came together to make sure that Bola Ahmed Tinubu did not become the president of this country.

“If Tinubu fails, hold me responsible. I can take a bullet for him. He is going to succeed,” he said.