Popular Niger Delta Militant, Asari Dokubo and the Nigerian Army have disagreed over who is responsible for Nigeria’s pervasive crude oil theft.
Speaking after a visit to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Aso Villa on Friday, Asari Dokubo claimed that the Military is responsible for 99 per cent of crude oil theft in the Niger Delta region.
Dokubo who is 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 refuted the claim that the citizens of Niger Delta are responsible for oil theft and rather blamed what he called powerful cabals in Abuja.
He further alleged that oil theft is encouraged by the Military, saying 99 per cent of oil theft can be traced to the Nigerian Military, the Army and the Navy.
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.
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.
He further explained that 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.
