Niger Delta Militant Group Threatens To Expose Military Officers Involved In Oil Bunkering

A Niger Delta militant group has given a condition to expose the military officers who are allegedly behind oil bunkering activities in Nigeria.

The group identified as the Supreme Egbesu Freedom Fighters of Niger Delta (SEFFND) said it is ready to expose the names of all military officers involved if the federal government gives assurance that they will be investigated and prosecuted.

The self-styled General Commanding Officer of SEFFND, Agadagba I, aka River Don, made this known in a statement yesterday after a meeting of the militants in Bayelsa State.

He said, “We know those involved, and can mention their names if the federal government can carry out without bias thorough investigations on them.”

“The federal government has to probe how the military officers got their postings to the oil region, property, bank accounts, and luxurious lifestyle.”

The group stated that the allegation by a former militant leader, Asari Dokubo that the military is behind oil theft in the Niger Delta region is the absolute truth though not all military men are involved in the illegal business.

“Military men are highly culpable in activities of economic sabotage vis-à-vis crude oil theft and bunkering. It is disheartening for the military to deny their culpability. However, we all know that they will not admit it openly.

“However, we must state categorically that not all of them are involved in crude oil theft, but the allegations made by Dokubo-Asaro are neither false nor to garner favor from the government.

‘While we appreciate the enormous sacrifices made by the military under the present democratic dispensation to safeguard the territorial territory of our dear nation, Dokubo-Asari, as a patriot and a core Nigerian leader, has high respect for the military hierarchy, or other made-up authorities, which he has often displayed.

“The military is at liberty to investigate the allegations, but we warn disgruntled elements quoting Dokubo-Asari statement out of context, apparently to create a rift or bad blood between him, law enforcement agencies, and the federal government to retrace their steps.

“They should immediately desist from such dubious acts, as no sooner than later, we will catch up with them. We will no longer tolerate and condone such statements and actions that are highly inflammatory and provocative.

“We wish to use this opportunity to state clearly that Dokubo-Asari is not at war with the law enforcement agencies in the country as he had been at the forefront of condemning inactions of hate speeches, and insightful statements emanating from some prominent elites, and elder statesmen that could create tension, insecurity, and disunity among other ethnic nationalities.

“Without minding whose ox is gored, Dokubo believes in one indivisible Nigeria and stands faithful to his belief as a core Muslim in which the almighty Allah is against lies, and disunity, condemning the actions of terrorist groups, and insurgents ravaging the Northern and Eastern parts of Nigeria”.

Ohanaeze Ndigbo, HURIWA Making Ethnic Statements

Speaking further, the militant group accused the Ohanaeze Ndigbo and the Human Rights Writers Association (HURIWA) of making ethnic-related statements about the oil bunkering issue.

It urged them to stop such inciting statements.

“The Supreme Egbesu Freedom Fighters of Niger Delta is awash with self-centered activities as exemplified by the leadership of Ohaneze Ndigbo and the Human Rights Writers Association, HURIWA, which have been issuing unwarranted statements based on ethnic bias, religious sentiments, and destructive tendencies to misinform the public.

“Such statements from Mr. Damian Okereke, and Mazi Okwu of Ohaneze Ndigbo, as well as the National Coordinator of HURIWA, Mr Emmanuel Onwudiko, should stop henceforth.

They should stop playing the ostrich with their unprofessional, unguarded, provocative, and misleading information just to tarnish the hard-earned reputation of Dokubo-Asari, who is a patriot and nationalist.

“Ohaneze Ndigbo and HURIWA should have known that Alhaji Asari Dokubo is not an enemy of the Nigerian State, and neither is he a threat to the Igbos as they have painted in the media and social space just to blackmail him.

“We advise them to stop at once before the wraths of militants fall on them, we will not spare their families and even properties of their fellow brothers from the same region in the event of any offensive”.

“We will no longer fold our arms and close our eyes, hence we want to clarify that we will not tolerate or condone any further attacks on the personality of Alhaji Dokubo-Asari, who is a well-respected chief in Kalabari Kingdom, and in Ijaw nation, as a Defender of the Niger Delta region.

“Indeed, they particularly miffed us at the senseless calls on the DSS to arrest Dokubo-Asari; we will go all out to launch calculated simultaneous attacks on such persons.

“We are shocked and taken aback that the Ohaneze Ndigbo and HURIWA had never come out to condemn the senseless and devilish activities of the Independent People of Biafra, IPoB, and the Eastern Security Network, ESN. Their activities have caused the loss of lives of several innocent Nigerians, properties, and a mass exodus of people from the east to other parts of the country.

“They (Ohaneze and HURIWA) turn blind eyes to IPOB and ESN evil criminal acts despite the bloodbath and killing of military men and innocent citizens without human sympathy.

“Ohaneze Ndigbo and HURIWA think Nigerians are fools, we are watching them. They keep mute when the IPoB and ESN elements burn down police stations, Nigerian Correctional Centres, and innocent businesspersons’ shops and properties for no just reason.

“Even when the proscribed terrorist -IPoB and ESN founder/sponsored by the so-called Mazi Nnamdi Kanu have turned the East to a war zone by crippling the entire economy of that zone, particularly Imo, Anambra, and Abia states to battlefields.

“What are the response and inactions of these ethnic bigots groups? Who is more of an enemy to Nigeria? We leave the question for Ohaneze Ndigbo and HURIWA to answer,” the militant group said.