Asari Dokubo, military authorities clash over oil theft allegations

Niger Delta activist Asari Dokubo and military authorities are at loggerheads over his claims that the military were behind the massive oil theft in the Niger Delta.

Dokubo had made the claim when he visited President Bola Tinubu at the State House on Friday.

“We know that oil theft is an organised racket by some powerful people, including military personnel who give directives from Abuja. We have been saying this a long time ago and many Nigerians do not understand the politics in oil theft.

“I told the president that we know the people involved in this theft. Here was a crime being conducted within metres away from security posts of personnel sent to guard these oil installations.

“These security agents were able to intimidate other legally-recognised agencies mandated to guard these installations. We need to speak out against these elements and stop the bleeding of the economy,” he said.

His claims were however met with stiff opposition from the military who asked him to name the military officers behind he illegal action.

Speaking with Daily Trust, the spokesman of the Nigerian Navy, Commodore Adedotun Ayo-Vaughan, described the allegations as “spurious and unguarded”.

“The Navy has an operation in the Niger-Delta that has been running for over one year plus to curb oil theft. Operation DAKATAR DA BARAWO has denied oil thieves more than N76billion worth of crude oil. The money that would have helped them to further increase their illegal artisanal refineries.

“So, the Navy is actively fighting oil theft. For anybody to make such spurious allegations, bring the names. He (Dokubo) is in the Niger Delta, he has boys in the Niger Delta.

“The company that was given a contract by the NNPC on pipeline surveillance, they are working with the Nigerian Navy and Operation Delta Safe in the Niger-Delta to curb oil theft.

“For somebody to just make such unguarded statement, bring the names. You know that there is an operation (Operation DAKATA BARAWO) going on in the Niger Delta being run by the Nigerian Navy since April last year. The Navy has been running it in synergy with the NNPC.

“NNPC holds regular meetings with the Chief of Naval Staff to review the operations. Just last week, the Chief Executive of NUPREC was here to have a meeting with CNS. Just two days ago, the management team for the other one on downstream regulatory authority were also here to have a meeting. For us, if you want to make such spurious allegations, bring the names. Simple,” the Nigerian Navy spokesman said.

Also reacting, the Director, 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 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,  illegal oil refining and other sundry crimes in the Niger Delta.

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

“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.