Ex-Gov Dickson Reveal where Major Oil Theft Players Reside
Senator Seriake Dickson, representing Bayelsa West, stated on Friday that the key figures behind oil theft in the Niger Delta are “big players” residing outside the region.
During a visit to the Pere of Gbaramatu Kingdom, Oboro-Gbaraun II, in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, the former Bayelsa State governor clarified that the commonly held belief that Ijaw youths are responsible for oil theft is misguided.
“Those behind the crude oil theft are not from the region but are based in Lagos, Abuja, and other parts of the world,” Dickson said. “We lack the means and capacity to engage in the high-level operations that lead to the daily loss of Nigerian crude oil produced in our region.”
He emphasized that the individuals capable of compromising national security and the petroleum system, and those who can hire tankers and shuttle vessels, are not Ijaws. “We cannot do that! We do not even have the experience to be involved in that kind of operation.”
Dickson urged the Nigerian government to intensify efforts on the international stage to recover stolen crude oil. He placed the blame on those responsible for declaring production figures and monitoring outputs for the past 50 to 60 years.
“It is not the Ijaw youth – harmless people without the capacity and technical know-how
,” he added.
