Reps Member Backs Crackdown On Culprits
The Ijaw Youths Network yesterday faulted a former Minister of Defence, Maj. Gen. Tajudeen Olarenwaju, on the grisly murder of 16 personnel of the Nigerian Army by Okuama youths on March 14, 2024, over land dispute.
This came as the Deputy Chairman, National Planning and Economic Development, and House of Representatives member representing Abak/Etim Ekpo/Ika Federal Constituency of Akwa Ibom State, Clement Jimbo, has called on the Delta State government to join hands with security forces to ensure that perpetrators of the lawless killings of military personnel in the state are speedily brought to book.
The IYN noted that in reacting to the killings, which shocked the entire country, the retired General fought hard to create a non-existent link between this crime against humanity and the collaborative protection of the nation’s oil pipeline between private security outfits, the military and security agencies.
The group said that Olarenwaju’s claim that it is unsafe for non-state actors to protect oil installations in the country at this critical time is curious and wrong.
In a statement by its Coordinator, Frank Ebikabo, and Secretary, Federal Ebiaridor, the group said the General’s statement only reechoed the same misguided and false narrative being peddled by frustrated oil thieves and their cohorts who did not get the pipeline contract of the NNPCL.
The group said that the utterances of a man who rose to the rank of General and one time Minister of Defence should not bear semblance with those exploiting the disturbing death of our military personnel to push an obvious economic interest.
They stated that Olarenwaju should be condoling the Nigerian Army, the institution that produced him, at its moment of grief and not to dabble into or steer needless controversy.
“He should be concerned about how to track down and arrest those who brazenly assaulted the collective peace, safety and security of this country,” the group added.
According to them, Olarenwaju cannot claim ignorance of massive theft of the nation’s oil resources by a virulent cabal comprising Nigerians and their evil foreign collaborators, which made former presidents Jonathan, Buhari and the NNPCL to explore the use of capable private security outfits to complement the efforts of the military and security outfits.
“The General is aware of the relentless pursuit of the oil thieves in the coastal waters and creeks of the Niger Delta with several arrests of rogue vessels in the region by Tantita Security Services Limited,” they added.
The group urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the NNPCL to continue with the decisive policy against oil theft, which has increased oil production and has been applauded all over the country, noting that no distraction deserves no attention.
“The military assets of the country are already over stretched. Successive presidents have engaged private security outfits to fight the lethal scourge of oil theft in Nigeria. It is not unusual and it is a trend that is commonplace around the world.
“Even developed countries such as the U.S. and the UK also employ the services of private security consultants to maximise security of critical assets and facilities.
“Prior to the renewal of the contract of Tantita Security Services, the general had not found it necessary to besiege the media space about the purported inappropriateness of engaging private security outfit to fight oil theft.
“Perhaps, the various feats accomplished by Tantita and the widespread recognition accorded to the company should convince the General that private security outfits do not constitute any danger to the security of the nation’s critical oil pipeline.
“What should be of concern to the general is the sad story of oil theft that made the President and the NNPC to seek proactive response to the problem that threatened the nation’s existence.
“It is shocking that the General is reducing the cold blooded murder of soldiers as a fall out of gang violence in the region. This is an attempt to twist the facts of the matter.
“There is no link between the private security outfits and the gruesome murder of soldiers on lawful duty. This rush to throw curious, unsolicited advice should be beneath him.
“His suggestion is a personal opinion inspired by a lack of understanding of the story of the nation’s oil sector or a classic case of selective amnesia.
“Such hurried viewpoints seem to suggest that some ingrained interest who are jolted by the gains of the campaigns of oil theft are at work. A General’s statement shouldn’t be in that direction,” the group said.
Meanwhile, Jimbo insisted that the full wrath of law should be meted on perpetrators who wasted lives of gallant, resourceful officers trained with taxpayers’ money.
He threw his weight behind the order of President Tinubu for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the killers.
