Chief Edwin Clark, an elder statesman and leader of the Pan-Niger Delta Forum, has given his take on the lingering oil theft in the Niger Delta. In a video shared on YouTube by Channels TV, Clark expressed frustration and bitterness over oil theft in Nigeria by those he said ought to guard against the crime.
While calling on the Federal Government to set up a judicial inquiry to investigate oil theft, Clark revealed the action former President Olusegun Obasanjo took in 2003 when he told him that the top officers of security agencies were involved in illegal oil bunkering.
According to Clark, during the crisis between Itsekiri, Ijaw, and Urhobo ethnic groups in Delta State over oil, Obasanjo invited him and other leaders from the state to a meeting in Abuja to find a lasting solution to the crisis. He said in the meeting, he told Obasanjo that some top military officers were involved in oil theft and Obasanjo set up a committee led by the then Minister of Defense, General TY Danjuma to investigate the allegation. He said the committee went to Niger Delta to investigate the allegations he made and the findings of the committee are in the Villa.
He also cited an investigation conducted under President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration where some officers of the Nigerian Navy were indicted for illegal oil bunkering.
About 28:40 minutes into the video, Clark said “During the fratricidal war in Warri between the itsekiri, Ijaw, and Urhobo, the President of Nigeria at that time, President Olusegun Obasanjo invited us to Abuja to find a way of resolving the matter and the issue of oil stealing was one of the matters discussed. I stood up and accused the military and the security forces of being part of those who steal the crude oil and Obasanjo asked me if I can prove it and I said yes.
“So he set up General Danjuma’s committee, one of the members of that committee was the Obi of Owa, Efeizomor the second. General Danjuma went to Niger Delta and investigated my allegations and his report is in the presidency, they should look for it…In 2003, during Obasanjo’s time, it was discovered that Navy was involved in oil bunkering, an inquiry was set up by the Navy and three admirals were tried and two were found guilty”.