A coalition of five groups, known as the Middle Belt Pan-Nigerian Forum, has called for the resignation of Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, the Chief of Naval Staff. The coalition believes that his continued stay in office could hinder the investigation into his alleged involvement in crude oil theft, contract splitting, and other corrupt practices. Concerned Nigerians, a coalition of Civil Society Organizations, first brought these allegations to light in a petition to the president through the Ministry of Defence. The petition contained the names of prominent activists and lawyers, including Barrister Pelumi Olajengbesi, Esq, Comrade Deji Adeyanju, Comrade Mohammed Suleiman SK, Barrister Aisha Waliki, Esq, and Comrade Ogunwoye Samson.
The coalition, through its spokesperson, Dr. Danladi Ceceko Dangana, has urged the federal government to take immediate action and investigate the allegations against the Naval Chief. The coalition is concerned about the timing of the allegations, as Nigeria’s economy has been facing challenges since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu assumed power. A further delay in the investigation could cause irreparable damage to the country’s crude oil resources.
The Naval Chief’s response to the allegations has also alarmed the coalition. He dismissed them as being based solely on an exclusive news report from a media platform, People’s Gazette. The online platform accused the Naval Chief of facilitating a loosely coordinated bunkering of Nigerian crude, multibillion-naira contract-splitting fraud, and other corrupt activities. According to the newspaper, the Naval Chief accepted bribes totaling over $170 million in the past six months alone.
Therefore, the coalition has called on President Bola Tinubu to take swift action against the corrupt and incompetent Naval Chief in order to curb the theft of Nigeria’s crude oil.