Oil theft will stop in Niger Delta, Asari Dokubo vows after meeting Tinubu

Former Niger militant leader Asari Dokubo has promised to work with the Nigerian government to stop oil theft in the Niger Delta.

Dokubo said this on Friday after a closed-door meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

“My visit to the State House is just to come and say hello to my father,” Dokubo told newsmen, referring to Tinubu as his father.

“I congratulated him before this time but I also came to give him a word of support for what he has achieved and what he has done so far.

“I know that Nigeria has changed for the better under President Tinubu, the country has turned 360 degrees in the positive direction.

“When I am speaking about the President, I am speaking from a personal point of view. I can do everything to make my “father” succeed.

“That is a promise I have given to myself and also a promise which I have given to him.

“Oil theft will be stopped, I promise that there will be zero oil theft in the Niger Delta,” Dokubo said in the video posted on the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (ABAT) Media Centre.

Dokubo has also allegedly volunteered to use his connection to assist and do the necessary to halt oil theft.

He stated that the president has promised to investigate allegations of huge oil bunkering by notorious naval commanders that are kingpins, and promised to take decisive action to halt the shameful act.

The former militant leader argued that ordinary Niger Delta citizens who are often blamed for oil theft are not responsible, as they do not have the wherewithal to perform such sophisticated acts.

According to him, the manner in which the oil thieves have gone about their criminal activities has stripped the people of the Niger Delta of their livelihood.

Tinubu had last week reiterated his promise to halt crude oil theft in the country.

In his recent meeting with security chiefs in the country, the president said he won’t tolerate oil theft.

Charging leaders of all security agencies, Tinubu who said he is going to embark on a lot of reforms in terms of our security architecture, also noted that he would be looking closely into Nigeria’s misfortunes in the maritime domain, focusing particularly on the issues of oil theft.

Tinubu also emphasized the need for coordinated efforts to combat terrorism, insurgency, banditry, oil theft, sea robbery, piracy, and other security issues that threaten the nation’s peace.