A retired member of the Nigerian Armed Forces Complex and Minister of Communications, Major General Tajudeen Olanrewaju, has reacted to the allegations by ex-Niger Delta militant leader, Asari Dokubo, that the Nigerian Army, Navy and some cabals are behind 99 percent of the oil theft in the country.
In a statement made available to Newspaper on Saturday, Olanrewaju urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to direct Dokubo to provide whatever evidence is available to him to the security services insisting that the former militant leader cannot eat his cake and have it.
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Dokubo had made the allegations after an audience with Tinubu in State House, Abuja, on Friday, stating that the President had 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.
He added that there are powerful cabals operating from Abuja, vowing that these powerful forces in place have now met their match and many people would soon be marching to Kuje as, according to the ex-militant, he has volunteered to use his boys to assist and do the necessary to halt the evil.
Reacting to the developments, Olanrewaju described Dokubo’s allegations as cheap political blackmail.
He also rose to the challenge by calling on the Armed Forces to report Dokubo to the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) and the Department of State Services (DSS) for them to, respectively, invite him to divulge all that he knows so records will be set straight.
The former General Officer Commanding (GOC), Third Armoured Division of the Nigerian Army, said the allegations look more like an attempt to bring down the military and make militancy popular in the eyes of the people.
“This is a cheap political blackmail. Dokubo should be directed by the President to provide whatever evidence is available to him to the security services. An individual like Dokubo cannot eat his cake and have it. He’s now the complainant, jury, and court,” Olanrewaju said.
“He has taken an open criticism of the entire security services and has whitewashed them in the public. The accusations are strong and grimmed enough to be thoroughly investigated through a commission of inquiry and steps taken accordingly.
“This man is playing to the gallery without proof of evidence, and so, he should not be treated lightly. It is in the interest of Mr. President to act on his open denigrating of his Armed forces as the Commander-in-Chief.
“This man goes about with armed men approved by the federal government, and whereas states that have security outfits (e.g. Amotekun) were denied from doing so.
“This kind of double standard has no place in today’s political setting. Gen Abisoye’s NNPC Report & My Review (1993 -95) had taken care of these lapses, but the government ignored them.”