Oil thieves are not hidden, arrest them – Tonye Cole

2023 Rivers state governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Tonye Cole, has said people responsible for oil theft in the Niger Delta are not hiding.

According to him, those who engage in oil thefts are of the habit of changing their lifestyle and people within the community can see the drastic change.

Speaking during an interview with Channels Television, the former Executive Director of Sahara Energy noted that the oil thieves must be part of the discussion on ending oil bunkering.

Cole said;

“You have to bring them in. They must be part of the discussion. They are not hidden. Some of them may have grown through the creeks, some of them you see their lifestyles change.

“You see someone whose lifestyle has changed, you see the houses have changed, you see the cars have changed, you see the money that is spent, so you know. This is a society where when we were growing up if you start showing money and no one knows where it’s coming from, everyone will ostracise you from the society.

“Today it has changed; nobody cares where your money is coming from again. So it is not hidden, people know almost immediately within the community that this is what is going on."

Tonye Cole said that the issue of oil theft has to be addressed. Adding that, although the military might have been angered by Dokubo’s claim, they would not deny that there are some people who aid the illegal bunkering.