Ex-Guber Candidate Urges Tinubu to Arrest, Prosecute Oil Thieves

Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan

A gubernatorial candidate on the platform of Alliance for Democracy (AD) in Lagos State in 2019, Chief Owolabi Salis, has urged President Bola Tinubu to go after major oil barons who are luring innocent Nigerians into illegal bunkering instead of bombing and killing the poor who are carrying out the exercise.

Salis, while speaking with journalists in Ibadan, said the poor are being used for oil thefts and not their fault because the government has failed them. 

He said: “Mr. President, if you can bomb one traditional ruler, high government official or top military brass, diplomat, involved in illegal bunkering, the game will stop immediately. Singapore did it against corruption and no one wants to be involved in corruption in the country.”

Salis noted that the essence of government is to bridge the gap between the rich and poor in basic needs like food, medical and housing, adding that the more reason why government must tax the rich to support the poor. 

“We should ask ourselves, has the government done this? The answer is no. This primary objective is carried out in comparative societies. The past governments in Nigeria have failed in this primary objective. You can not bomb them. Arrest them and let them fish out the real barons and bomb the real barons if you can, and the illegal oil bunkering will stop immediately. You only need to bomb one baron. That’s it,” he said.

The Federal Government had said it would start air raids and bombing of criminals who engaged in illegal bunkering and vandalism of petroleum pipelines across the country.

But Salis while reacting to the decision, warned the poor and less privileged Nigerians who allowed themselves to be lured into the oil theft business by the oil Shylocks to desist and save themselves from unwarranted and gruesome deaths. 

According to him, the government must realise that some oil barons in the country lure the poor people into these criminal acts, taking advantage of the abject poverty in the country, saying: “So killing by bombing the people vandalising and scooping the fuel will not stop or reduce the menace as long as the oil barons are secured because they never come to the scene of the crime.

“These ignorant poor people are forced into the business as they are incapacitated. These are people who can not afford to feed, accommodate or care for themselves and their families. The real bunkers are in government, military, traditional rulers and others. They use the poor. President Tinubu’s government must identify the real barons, bring them to trial, and mete out whatever punishment stipulated for such crimes to them. This will end the oil thief business in Nigeria.”

He added that President Tinubu should rethink the idea of bombing the poor people in the field of crime as it will be unfair to the poor, noting that if the economy is good, no poor person would be involved in illegal bunkering.

“My strong advice to Nigerians is to stay clear of illegal bunkering. Otherwise, the government will bomb you without any consequences because nobody will open any criminal file for you. People doing the job are the poor. The real barons never come to the field. These poor people are forced into the business due to poverty.  These are the people who can not afford to pay their bills” Salis said.