America’s Wall Street
Journal today revealed the
mind-boggling million
dollar sums that the
Nigerian government has
been paying Niger Delta
warlords to keep them off
the oil pipelines in the
past 12 months.
Mr. Dokubo Asari, the
former warlord that first
shot to national limelight
collects $9million every
year to keep his estimated
4000 soldiers at bay.
‘General’ Ateke Toms and
‘General‘ Ebikabowei
Boyloaf Victor Ben collect $
3.5million apiece while
General Government
Tompolo Ekpumopolo is
the most priced of all: he
gets $22.5 million yearly.
The newspaper said the
figures were gotten from
senior officials of the
Nigeria National
Petroleum Corporation,
which makes the payment
direct to these warlords.
While Dokubo shrugged
off the huge payment he
receives, about N1.44
billion, as nothing unusual,
there is the belief that the
selective payments have
bred some jealousy
among other militants,
not so rewarded, who in
reaction continue to
pillage Nigeria’s crude oil
pipelines. Nigeria loses no
less than 10 per cent of its
crude production to oil
thieves on prowl in the
Niger Delta, despite the
programme of pacification
called the Amnesty
Programme.
By Shell’s account, no less
than 150,000 barrels of
Nigeria’s production are
stolen daily, a very low
estimate in the eyes of
many Niger Delta
watchers.
The Wall Street Journal
said in its report that
government plans to
spend $450 million on the
amnesty programme this
year alone, despite the
increasing theft of crude in
the region.
Said the respected journal:
The gilded pacification
campaign is offered up by
the government as a
success story. But others
say the program, including
a 2009 amnesty, has sent
young men in Nigeria’s
turbulent delta a different
message: that militancy
promises more rewards
than risks.
saharareporters.com/news-page/prpresident-jonathans-high-priced-militants-asari-dokubo-tompolo-ateke-tom-paid-millions-d

also to add to that, he pays opc leader fasheun 2 billion naira to protect pipelines , what happened to our armed forces? Why is he paying so much money to exmilitants when yet still, we lose atleast 150,000 barrels daily to oil bunkerers according to shell

…Nigeria Politico was
told that one of the ex-
militant commanders in
the western Niger Delta
axis gave a whopping
10,000 (ten thousand
names as the active
combatants under him.
For this number he is
paid N650, 000,000
million naira monthly.
The said militant king
pin, according to some
fellow commanders,
never had more than
1000 people under arms
Calabar, the Cross Rivers
State capital have never
seen such gathering of
the hoi-polloi and
glittering Nollywood
divas, leading male
screen honchos and
musical stars. Not even
the famed Calabar
annual carnival could
boast of such an
assemblage of political
figures, military and
security bigwigs and
business moguls. The
entire metropolitan
hotel was taken over by
guests. Two other
adjourning hotels were
equally pre-booked and
taken over by guests. A
Lagos based airline ran a
series of shuttle services
between Lagos and
Calabar ferrying guests.
Nigeria Politico was
reliably informed that
the airliner was collected
a handsome six million
naira for her services.
Other guests from places
like Warri, Yenagoa and
Port Harcourt came in
assorted state of the art
vehicles and chattered
luxury buses. Musical
sets were transported all
the way from Lagos. It
was a night to
remember.
The Occasion was the
child dedication
ceremony of a brother to
ex-militant warlord and
leader of the Niger Delta
Vigilante Service, Chief
Ateke Tom. Ateke or
Godfather is he is
affectionately called by
his teeming supporters
was the cynosure of all
eyes. He was simple
statement. He has
arrived. The show was
conservatively estimated
to have cost over 30
million naira.
Champagne, choice
wines and other
assorted drinks flowed
like water. The crowd
swayed and partied all
night.
Even as the party was in
full swing, Ateke was
busy holding court.
Politicians, businessmen,
nollywood stars, young
musical talents etc were
all seen going to the
‘’Godfather’’ for one
favour or the other. An
ex-Managing Director of
NDDC from Bayelsa was
seen conferring with
Ateke severally
throughout the night.
Former federal
legislators were not left
out.
For Ateke Tom, the
occasion of the child
dedication was an
opportunity to show the
world that he has gone
‘legit’. Ateke who since
the presidential amnesty
was granted after the
ex-militants agreed to
lay down their arms, has
been living in opulence
in Lagos is said to be rich
beyond doubts. While is
speculated to have
acquired numerous
properties in Lagos and
Abuja, through several
fronts, Nigeria Politico
could only authenticate
a property in Amuwo
Odifin in Lagos, where
Ateke holds court and
receives his visitors. The
property, running into
several plots, which was
acquired in a swampy
area, was sand filled at
huge costs. Presently a
bungalow and several
small out buildings are
the only developments
on the land. The rest of
the space is used as a
large reception area
filled with chairs and
canopies. On an average
day, hundreds of his ex-
militant loyalists and
other hangers on come
to pay homage to the
‘’Godfather’’ and also to
be fed. Each day a
battalion of women,
cook meal after meal for
the endless train of
visitors.
Even community
members and leaders of
Amuwo Odofin are not
left out. Ateke is very
popular in the are
because of his daily
handouts of different
sums of money to
indigent people in the
community. Nigeria
Politico was told the
Ateke tarred the road
leading to the
community.
For the one-time
fisherman in Okrika,
Rivers State, it is one
long climb to the
pinnacle of wealth and
affluence. He owns two
more properties in Lekki
and Victoria Garden City
(VGC) where his two
wives lives.
www.nigeriapolitico.com/ex-militants%20.html

more money is spent on exmilitants than on our education ministry, each ex militant is paid 65,000k a month which is more than what a police constable is paid every month

Alhaji
Dokubo-Asari once stalked
the mangrove-choked
creeks of the Niger Delta, a
leaf stuck to his forehead
for good luck, as a crew
that he ran bled oil from
pipelines and sold it to
smugglers. "Asari fuel,"
they called it.
Last year, Nigeria's state
oil company began paying
him $9 million a year, by
Mr. Dokubo-Asari's
account, to pay his 4,000
former foot soldiers to
protect the pipelines they
once attacked.
He shrugs off the unusual
turn of events. "I don't see
anything wrong with it,"
said the thickly built
former gunman, lounging
in a house gown at his
home here in Nigeria's
capital.
online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304019404577420160886588518.html

paying ex oil thieves to protect the oil the once stole, and according to shell we still lose 150,000 barrels a day to bunkerers
Jamb question; who are this new oil thieves?

ebamma: also to add to that, he pays opc leader fasheun 2 billion naira to protect pipelines , what happened to our armed forces? Why is he paying so much money to exmilitants when yet still, we lose atleast 150,000 barrels daily to oil bunkerers according to shell

Have you considered that this was always the plan when he took the senselessness decision that lucrative pipeline protection contracts be awarded to militant bosses?

and before some guys come here to make foolish comments am a full born niger deltan, am no Gej hater, but he is wrong on this one, u can't change a thief by paying him to protect his loot

with the 88billion naira spent on exmilitants, scholarship can be given to indigent students of niger deltan origin and our armed forces can be provided with latest gadgets and better pay, is the government trying to tell us that without taking up weapons u can't get a government grant

ebamma: and before some guys come here to make foolish comments am a full born niger deltan, am no Gej hater, but he is wrong on this one, u can't change a thief by paying him to protect his loot

Enjoy talking to yourself then or go and start a forum for "full born Niger Deltans" then because no way can you expect to start thread on a Nigerian chat forum about the President of all Nigerians and expect to receive only comment you want while clannishly invoking your region of origin as if you can comment on GEJ and others cannot/should not. You "immaturely" shout haters when it is obvious you just don't wish to admit the truth to yourself about GEJ because you are simply not able to look at his action dispassionately and honestly.

I repeat it again even if you don't want to hear it. GEJ knew what he intended to achieve when he senselessly awarded pipeline protection contract to militant while our Navy is still entirely functionally, far more professional than the militants and being paid/maintained by Nigeria. There is no justification for handing pipeline protection contracts to gloried oil bunkerers in the first place if you do not want oil theft to proliferate.

ebamma: with the 88billion naira spent on exmilitants, scholarship can be given to indigent students of niger deltan origin and our armed forces can be provided with latest gadgets and better pay, is the government trying to tell us that without taking up weapons u can't get a government grant

The money those Freedom fighters are receiving is their money and the government must pay it. koooool.