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

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 a visit to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Aso Villa on Friday, 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 and rather 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 Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu said the Nigerian Army had been vigorously engaged in the fight against illegal oil bunkering, oil theft, illegal oil refining and other sundry crimes in the region with positive results.

Nwachukwu, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria on Friday in Abuja, said the intervention had produced positive results.

According to the Army Spokesperson, the effort of the Military is evident in the increase in daily oil production from an abysmally dwindling output in the past.

Nwachukwu said the Nigerian Army had zero tolerance for any compromise on the part of its troops and would not condone any act of economic sabotage.

He promised that the army authority would not spare any black sheep in its fold if identified.

“The Nigerian Army has been vigorously engaged in the fight against illegal oil bunkering, oil theft, oil refining and other sundry crimes in the Niger Delta.

“And this has yielded positive results, as evident in the daily oil production per barrel increase from an abysmally dwindling output.

“The Nigerian Army has zero tolerance for any compromise on the part of our troops and will not condone such acts of economic sabotage.

“No black sheep will be spared if identified,” he said.