Navy, Army, Responds To Dokubo’s Allegation Of Sponsoring Oil Theft | READ DETAILS

The Nigerian Navy has reacted to the allegation of Asari Dokubo, that some cabals in the military are behind 99% of oil theft in the country.

Dokubo, a former Niger Delta Militants leader, had on Friday, after meeting with President Bola Tinubu in Abuja, fingered the military as major sponsors of oil bunkering in the region, exonerating Niger Deltans.

“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” Dokubo had alleged.

Responding to Dokubo’s claims the Director of Naval Information, Commodore Adedotun Ayo-Vaughan, stated that the former is only seeking favor from Tinubu and challenged him to provide as evidence, names of the alleged military cabals behind oil theft in the country

“If Asari Dokubo is seeking some form of relevance and alleges that there is a cabal of military people that are 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 said.

According to him, the Nigerian Navy has through its Operation Dakata da Barawo recorded tremendous successes in the fight against oil theft in the Niger Delta region.

He cited the recent arrest of a ship, Heroic Edun, that entered Nigeria illegally and the court fines imposed on the owners of the ship as evidence of the Nigerian Navy’s desire to combat crude oil theft.

The spokesman further listed other achievements of the Nigerian Navy – recorded between April 1, 2022, and June 12, 2023 – to include the arrest of 131 suspects, 17 vessels, destruction of 519 illegal mining sites, deactivation of 4,261 storage tanks with 569 wooden boats and demobilisation of 69 vehicles.

He noted that through the efforts of the Navy, oil thieves were denied over 116.9 million litres of crude oil, 45.1 million litres of refined diesel, and 2.4 million litres of kerosene as well as over 372,000 litres of premium motor spirit, all worth more than N71.8 billion based on the current prices.

“The Nigerian Navy is actively involved in the fight against crude oil theft and the resources in the Niger Delta. So, for anybody to say that there is a cabal of military officers, the only simple thing is to bring the evidence, bring the names. I rest my case,” Ayo-Vaughan added.

On the other hand, the Nigerian Army responding to the allegation through it’s Director of Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu said;

“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”.