Key Highlights
- Mujahid Asari Dokubo, accused the Nigerian military of being behind 99% of oil theft recorded in the oil-rich Niger Delta region.
- He faulted the narrative that the military was underequipped to take on terrorism, banditry and militancy head-on, describing it as “blackmail, as well as accusing them of forfeiting their weapons to the insurgents, which continued to fuel the insurgency.
- Dokubo also opposed the release of Nnamdi Kanu, arguing that it would not ease the tensions in the South East. Rather, it would fuel impunity.
Prominent Niger Delta leader and former agitator, Mujahid Asari Dokubo, has accused the Nigerian army and navy of being behind 99% of oil theft recorded in the oil-rich Niger Delta region.
This was made known by Dokubo while speaking to State House correspondents after meeting with President Bola Tinubu behind closed doors on Friday, June 2023, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, where he assured the new administration of his support to ensure “zero” oil theft in the Niger Delta.
Dokubo, who noted that oil theft and security were at the heart of his nearly 2-hour discussion with the president, said he believed that the Tinubu-led administration would fish out the culpable elements in the military.
Military at the centre of oil theft
Dokubo at the State House said,
- “The military is at the centre of oil theft and we have to make this very clear to the Nigerian public that 99 percent of oil theft can be traced to the Nigerian military, the Army and the Navy especially.
- “Myself and my brothers have assured the President that there will be zero oil theft and vandalization in the Niger Delta.
- “We’re going to walk with an NPPCL and the IOCs to make sure that oil tapped is brought to zero.”
On security, he faulted the narrative that the military was underequipped to take on terrorism, banditry and militancy head-on, describing it as “blackmail. He accused them of forfeiting their weapons to the insurgents, which continued to fuel the insurgency.
He stated, “The blackmail of the Nigerian state by the Nigerian military is shameful. They said they do not have enough armament and people listen to these false narratives. So this blackmail must end. They have enough resources to fight.”
Opposes release of Nnamdi Kanu
Going further, Dokubo argued that the release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, would not ease the tensions in the South-East. Rather, it would fuel impunity.
He said,
- “During EndSars, Nnamdi Kanu was walking free. What did he do? He poured petrol on the flames of EndSars. Now, he has been caught. What of the people who have died? This is a criminal. He should face the law.
- “Releasing Nnamdi Kanu is rewarding criminality and rewarding gruesome murder of innocent people. He should face the law for the actions and instigations he has carried out.”
What you should know
- Crude oil theft has become a very thorny issue in Nigeria for several years with huge volumes of oil being lifted by some cabal in the oil industry, with serious consequences on the country’s revenue and economy.
- In April, the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) revealed that Nigeria lost 619.7 million barrels of crude oil valued at N16.25tn to crude oil theft between 2009 and 2020.
- The Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NNPC, Mele Kyari, had in December 2022, while appearing on a Channels Television programme, accused government and security officials of collaborating with oil thieves to steal Nigeria’s crude oil.
- Critics say oil theft in Nigeria, one of Africa’s largest petroleum producers, is a much wider problem of corruption allegedly involving elements of the security forces and local political leaders, with the Managing Director of Chevron Nigeria/Mid Africa Business Unit, Richard Kennedy, describing the menace as an organized crime and should be differentiated completely from host community issues.