Asari Dokubo, Nigerian Navy lock horns over allegations of oil theft

Author

Categories

Share

A popular Niger Delta Militant, Asari Dokubo and the Nigerian Army have disagreed over who is responsible for Nigeria’s pervasive crude oil theft.

Dokubo speaking after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Aso Villa on Friday, had claimed that the Military is responsible for 99 per cent of crude oil theft in the Niger Delta region.

Dokubo, the leader of the Niger Delta Volunteer Force, NDVF, also alleged that the Army and the Navy intimidate operatives of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) who, by status, are the ones mandated to guard the oil pipelines.

He refused the claim that it is the citizens of Niger Delta that are responsible for oil theft; rather, he blamed powerful cabals in Abuja.

“I also want to say that oil theft is encouraged by the Military. The Military is at the centre of oil theft, and we must clarify this to the Nigerian public. 99 per cent of oil theft can be traced to the Nigerian Military, the Army and the Navy.

“The Army and the Navy intimidate the Civil Defence, who are, by status, the people who are supposed to guard these pipelines.

“It is very pathetic now. What is happening in the Niger Delta in the past eight years was unprecedented in the history of oil production anywhere in the world”, he stated.

But hours after the accusation on Friday, the Director of Naval Information, Commodore Adedotun Ayo-Vaughan, challenged Dokubo to name those involved in such an act.

According to him, the Nigerian Army had helped Nigeria save N71.8 billion that would have been lost to oil theft.

“Asari Dokubo is seeking some relevance and alleges that there is a cabal of military people involved in crude oil theft, let him bring the names. Nobody is afraid of getting the names of those involved in crude oil theft,” the naval spokesman told Channels Television on Friday.

He noted that from April 1, 2022, and June 12, 2023, the Military denied oil thieves over 116.9 million litres of crude oil, 45.1 million litres of refined diesel, 2.4 million litres of kerosene and over 372,000 litres of premium motor spirit, all worth more than N71.8 billion based on the current prices.

Oil theft has been a menace to Nigeria’s oil production and economy. The Country’s crude oil production dropped in April but resurged in May.

Author

Share