A prominent leader and ex militant in Niger Delta, Alhaji Mujahid Asari Dokubo has opened fire on the Nigerian military, especially Arm and Navy, saying emphatically that 99 percent of oil thefts in the region are carried out by them.
Dokubo, who spoke to newsmen today, June 16, shortly after a private audience with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Aso Rock presidential villa, Abuja, stressed that the sophisticated ways in which the thefts are being carried out could only be done by highly placed security operatives, with the backing of officialdom.
“The military is at the centre of oil theft and we have to make this very clear to the Nigerian public, that 99 per cent of oil theft can be traced to the Nigerian military, the Army and the Navy especially,”
He promised to support the government of Tinubu to bring oil theft to “zero.”
Dokubo said his discussion with the president revolved around oil theft and security.
“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 work with NPPCL and the IOCs to make sure that oil tapped is brought to zero.”
It is instructive to know that the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative had said in April this year that Nigeria lost 619.7 million barrels of crude oil valued at N16.25 trillion to oil theft between 2009 and 2020.