06/10/2026
Olu of Warri Responds To Asari Dokubo's N2.7 Trillion Pipeline Surveillance Allegation, Calls For Documentary Proof
The Palace of the Olu of Warri has responded to the public allegation by Asari Dokubo that His Majesty, Ogiame Atuwatse III, CFR, receives N2.7 trillion annually from pipeline surveillance contracts.
In a press statement dated Tuesday, October 6, 2026, and signed by Prince Collins Oritsetimeyin Edema, Sole Representative of the Olu of Warri to NNPC Limited/JV Partners, the Palace said the claim is categorically rejected and challenged Mr. Dokubo to produce the documentary evidence upon which the extraordinary claim is based.
The Palace stated that Dokubo's latest intervention cannot be divorced from his history of militancy and confrontational political expression, and that while such a style may command attention, attention should not be confused with credibility.
Giving further context to the sensitivity of the matter, the statement noted that:
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐น๐ผ๐ผ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฑ: ๐ฃ๐ถ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐ถ๐น๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ก๐ถ๐ด๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฎ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐.
According to the Palace, Nigeria's oil and gas infrastructure is a critical national asset, and pipeline security sits at the intersection of commercial interest, energy security and national security, which makes its allocation and ex*****on a matter of legitimate public interest that should be subjected to rigorous scrutiny through contracts, procurement processes and institutional oversight.
It also warned that loose assertions in the politically and ethnically sensitive Warri environment involving Ijaw, Itsekiri and Urhobo communities can have consequences beyond the immediate argument.
The statement concluded by stressing that:
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐น๐ผ๐ผ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฑ: ๐ฃ๐ถ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐ถ๐น๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ก๐ถ๐ด๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฎ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐.