Ogiame Atuwatse III, the Olu of Warri, has forcefully rejected claims by former militant leader Asari Dokubo that the monarch receives ₦2.7 trillion annually from pipeline surveillance contracts.
In a statement issued Tuesday by Chief Collins Edema—the monarch’s sole representative to NNPC Limited and its joint venture partners—the Warri kingdom challenged Dokubo to present concrete documentary evidence to back his “extraordinary” assertions.
Addressing Dokubo’s background, Edema noted that while Dokubo’s combative rhetoric stems from his history in Niger Delta militancy, attention should not be confused with credibility.
He cautioned against dismissing Dokubo solely for his past, but insisted that any allegations of this magnitude must stand on verifiable proof rather than provocation.
Edema also highlighted Dokubo’s shifting stance regarding Government Ekpemupolo (Tompolo) and the Gbaramatu-Itsekiri conflict, raising questions about the motivations behind his sudden turn in focus.
Emphasizing that pipeline security involves critical national assets tied directly to Nigeria’s economic survival, the statement urged statutory bodies to investigate any formal concerns through corporate and regulatory records.
Edema warned that inflammatory, politically charged rhetoric threatens to inflame fragile inter-ethnic relations among the Ijaw, Itsekiri, and Urhobo communities.
