Alleged oil theft: Militants back Asari Dokubo’s security operatives’ complicity

Godstime Simon, Yenagoa

A militant group, Supreme Egbesu Freedom Fighters of Niger Delta (SEFFND), has thrown its weight behind the Leader of Niger Delta People’s Volunteer Force (NDPVF), Alhaji Asari Dokubo, over allegations levelled against some nation’s security agents on their involvement in crude oil theft and illegal oil bunkering activities in the creeks of the region.

Dokubo, a former President of the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC), had recently been in the eye of the storm for alleging that some military personnel and other security operatives were largely responsible for the spate of oil theft in the Niger Delta.

A statement on Monday by the group’s General Commanding Officer, Comrade D. Agadagba, popularly known as the River Don, said the SEFFND aligned with Dokubo’s allegations after their crucial meeting in the creeks of Bayelsa State.

Agadagba said the allegations levelled against the security agents could not be further from the truth, claiming that some of them were highly culpable in the activities of economic sabotage vis-a-vis crude oil theft and illegal crude oil bunkering.

He noted with dismay that it was disheartening for the security operatives to deny such allegations, opining that there was no way they would come out to admit the damning allegations.

Agadagba claimed that some law enforcement agents had played some ignoble roles in the illicit multi-billion-naira crude oil theft industry to thrive in the country without recourse to the damage such actions had impacted the nation’s economy, resources and environmental degradation.

The SEFFND boss said:  “We know those involved and their names can be mentioned if the Federal Government, without bias, carries out thorough investigations on them vis-a-vis how their postings to the region play out, their properties, bank accounts and luxury lifestyles.

“The Federal Government will be shocked to discover the damage done to the country by people who swore to protect the country and its critical national assets.

“However, we must state categorically that not all of them are involved in this illicit disheartening crude oil theft business, but the allegations made by Alhaji Asari Dokubo are not far from the truth, neither were they meant to garner favour from the government.

“We appreciate the enormous sacrifices made by the law enforcement agencies under the present democratic dispensation for imbibing the spirit of safeguarding the country’s territory against all odds.

“Dokubo as a patriot and a core Nigerian statesman has high respect for the military hierarchy or any other constituted authorities, which he has often displayed. However, the military and other security forces are at liberty to investigate the allegations in order to unearth the truth.”