The Federal Government was yesterday urged to beam its searchlight on well-meaning personalities in the country, including foreign nationals sabotaging Niger Delta people and their resources.
The Ibenanaowei of Ekpetiama Kingdom in Bayelsa State, HRH King Bubaraye Dakolo, made the call during an event organised by the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) tagged, “Book Reading with His Royal Highness King Bubaraye Dakolo”, in Benin City, Edo State.
The Niger Delta monarch faulted claims that most of the activities associated with oil theft and pipeline vandalism were perpetrated by Nigerians, particularly among the locals in the Niger Delta.
Dakolo said part of the problem of the oil-rich region is the issue of oil thieves, which has undermined its development. Dakolo, who said that these oil thieves could be residing far away in New York and London and across the globe, noted that those paraded by the Federal Government as oil thieves were victims. He said: “Some of the oil thieves have private Jets, Yachts and private refineries aboard.
“If you see their skin, it glows like the backside of a newborn baby, very smooth. That is a typical oil thief. “The monarch added that the oil thieves are not resident in the Niger Delta communities, saying: “If they ever have a reason to go to the Niger Delta region, they would be accompanied by Joint Task Force (JTF), Soldiers, Airforce, Navy, Police, Red Cross, Fire Brigade, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and then, there would be doctors and nurses too.
“And maybe you would be wondering why all of these. Because these people have so much money. So much money that they don’t want to take the risk of coming to the swamps to get killed by mosquitoes.
