The Nigerian Army has reacted to allegations by ex-Niger Delta militant leader, Asari Dokubo, that some cabals in the military are involved in oil theft in the region.
Dokubo made the claims when he visited President Bola Tinubu in Abuja on Friday.
The Director, 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.
Nwachukwu who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria on Friday in Abuja, said the intervention had produced positive results.
This, he said, was evident in the increase in daily oil production from an abysmally dwindling output in the past.
Nwachukwu said 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.
“The Nigerian Army has been vigorously engaged in the fight against illegal oil bunkering, oil theft, illegal oil refining and other sundry crimes in the Niger Delta.
“And this has yielded positive results as evident in the increase in daily oil production per barrel from an abysmally dwindling output in the past.
“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,” he said
Recall that Asari Dokubo alleged that 99 per cent of oil theft and bunkering in the Niger Delta is done by the Nigerian military, notably the Army and the Navy.
He said even if one billion contracts are awarded to everybody in the Niger Delta to stop oil theft and bunkering, it will not work because of kingpins fully armed from the Army and the Navy.
He however volunteered to end the menace, knowing that he will be fully protected by the Tinubu’s administration.
