Alleged oil theft: Middle-Belt coalition demands resignation of Naval Chief

In a bid to ensure accountability, transparency, and good governance in the Nigerian state, a coalition of five groups under the umbrella of the Middle Belt Pan-Nigerian Forum has called for the resignation of the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla.

The coalition, through its spokesperson, Dr. Danladi Ceceko Dangana, believes that the naval chief’s continued stay in office may impede the investigation into his alleged involvement in crude theft, contract splitting, and other corrupt practices.

The allegations against the naval chief were first brought to light by Concerned Nigerians, a coalition of civil society organisations with prominent activists and lawyers—Pelumi Olajengbesi, Deji Adeyanju, Mohammed Suleiman SK, Aisha Waliki, and Ogunwoye Samson—in a petition to the president through the Ministry of Defence.

The coalition appealed to the federal government to take immediate action and ensure a thorough investigation into the allegations against the naval chief, adding that further delay could cause irreparable damage to the country’s crude oil resources.

The coalition disclosed that it is particularly alarmed by the naval chief’s response to the allegations, as he dismissed them as being solely based on an exclusive news report from a media platform.

The coalition calls on President Tinubu to act fast in order to tame the theft of Nigeria’s crude oil while emphasising that a thorough investigation into the allegations will prevent Nigeria from becoming a laughing stock among the international community.