The recent visit of the Niger Delta War Lord, Asari Dokubo to Aso Rock to have a meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu where he impugned the integrity of the top military brass, and ended up calling an armless freedom fighter, Nnamdi Kanu a criminal goes to show how the administration of Tinubu is pampering and eulogizing touts in the country for the few weeks he held sway as the president of Nigeria writes Chibuike Chiemerie
During the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, the Niger Delta War Lord, Asari Dokubo was a serial guest of the law enforcement agencies for gun running. Information at the disposal of Tentacle revealed that Dokubo who claimed that he was fighting for the people of the Niger Delta to be allowed to determine how their oil is managed was a window dressing because he was really after what he could grab for himself. According to an informed source, Dokubo is a wealthy person whose source of wealth is allegedly traceable to arm struggle and sharp oil business deals at the detriment of the nation and to a large extent his people he claimed to be fighting for. In the past, some of the bombs thrown around the creeks have been traced to him, though allegedly. He had been in out of prison for his raw approach in the control of the oil in the South South region of the country.
In his recent visit to Aso Rock to have a closed door meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the brand new President was cowed by the raging War Lord was grandstanding that he had the magic wand to end oil theft in the creeks of the Niger Delta region, thus he was offered the state facilities to use in denigrating the Nigerian military. According to the Niger Delta War Lord when he spoke to the State House correspondents, he said that “90 per cent of the oil theft in the Niger Delta was traceable to the top military brass in the country”, insisting that it was a shame that the military has failed to protect the country from the wrath of insurgents. In that controversial interaction with journalists in Aso Rock, the Dokubo alleged that his boys are responsible for protecting Nigerian citizens across the 36 states of the Federation, an assertion that irked security agencies in the country.
The military formation has challenged Dokubo to come with evidence of the top military brass that is engaged in oil theft in the Niger Delta or shut up, and should desist from impugning the integrity of the military or be ready to face the consequences. The Nigerian Navy in its response to the loquacious allegation of oil theft in the Niger Delta being traceable to the Navy and Army, said that the Niger Delta Dokubo was blabbing as he has no evidence to back up his claim, and should be called to order by those using him to impugn the integrity of the security agencies in the country. The Nigerian Navy in a press statement accused Dokubo of playing to the gallery voicing out what he does not have full grasp of.
In the same breath, the Dokubo waxed lyrical when he chose to impugn the sensibility of Ndigbo as he averred that if not for civilization he would resume selling Ndigbo for slavery as his father did in the past. In the video that has gone viral the War Lord claimed that the Igbos are of no consequence in the equation of Nigeria as country, adding that the ethnic group would soon witness massive killings as already evidenced in Imo State in the South East region of the country. The observation of Dokubo might have found expression in the tacit state policy to embark on pogrom in most part of the South East region as a way of making sure that the region is silenced permanently in the country.
In another development, Dokubo was said to have advised Federal Government not to release Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB from detention even when Court of competent jurisdiction had ordered for his freedom. The Niger Delta War Lord was quoted as saying that Kanu is a common criminal that should not be let off the hook because he is dangerous to the society. Nigerians have reacted to his position in the matter. Some of the public affairs analysts who spoke to Tentacle said that the Niger Delta War Lord lacked the moral right to adjudicate on the case of Kanu because the latter is an angel compared to the nefarious activities of Niger Delta militants which Dokubo leads. Some of the analysts were of the opinion that Dokubo had been sighted at various fora bearing AK47 riffles which he brandished in the creeks to cow the security agents securing oil pipelines in the creeks but Kanu is just an armless agitators for the emancipation of the people of Biafra.
Kanu is agitating for the Republic of Biafra premised on the facts and figures that the Nigerian government through policies and actions had alienated the Biafra people from the country. Kanu in most of his radio broadcast asked Ndigbo to boycott the activities of the Nigerian state because they are not wanted there. Investigation revealed that the activities of IPOB does not suggest armed struggle as evidence in the activities of Dokubo and his gang who are terrorizing the creeks all in the name of agitating for the fair share of the oil proceeds in the Niger Delta.
Samson Odeyemi, a Public Affairs commentator said that Dokubo should shut up if he does not know what to say, adding that he is just a mere notice me person who is going around looking for government patronage. “Nigerians including the Niger Delta people are wiser and are aware the ilk of Dokubo and what they stand for, how can an armed dealer and War Lord call another man who is leading armless protest for self determination a criminal? It is annoying how the government of Tinubu is giving no state actors undeserved privilege to insult the sensibility of Nigerians. This nonsense has to stop if we are to move forward as a nation because characters like this has nothing to offer the public or even the Niger Delta people he claimed to be protecting”, offered miffed Odeyemi .
Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the pan Igbo socio cultural and political influencer had called the administration of Tinubu to order the immediate arrest of Dokubo for threatening to sell Ndigbo to slavery as his father did in the past. Ohanaeze Ndigbo in a press statement gleaned by this medium said that the utterances of Dokubo are capable of causing strife in the society if not cautioned in time. The group said it is not going to stand and watch Dokubo insult and denigrate the people of South East, calling on the administration of Tinubu to nip the excesses of the War Lord in the bud before it is too late in the day.
“We call on the administration of Tinubu to call Dokubo to order because the insult he is heaping on the people of the South East is becoming unbecoming and should as a matter of urgency stop. Dokubo should not use Ndigbo to curry government patronage”, OhanaezeNdigbo earnestly warned.
Whatever is the case, the notorious activities of Dokubo in the creeks cannot be compared to the peaceful protest embarked upon by IPOB members led by Kalu for the emancipation of South East region from the Nigerian state.
