The Ibenanaowei of Ekpetiama Kingdom in Bayelsa State, HRH King Bubaraye Dakolo, on Monday, urged the Federal Government to beam its search light on well-meaning personalities in the country, including foreign nationals sabotaging Niger Delta people and their resources, saying most of the oil thieves that the government are looking for in the oil rich Niger Delta were not from the region.

The monarch made the call during an event organised by the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), tagged, “Book Reading with His Royal Highness King Bubaraye Dakolo,” in Benin City, Edo State.

The monarch faulted claims that most of the activities associated with oil theft and pipeline vandalism were perpetrated by Nigerians, particularly among the locals in the Niger Delta.

Dakolo said part of the problem of the Niger Delta is the issue of oil thieves, which has undermined the development of the region.

According to him, a typical oil thief is usually not from the Niger Delta region.

Dakolo, who said these oil thieves could be residing far way in New York and London and across the globe, noted that those paraded by the federal government as oil thieves were victims of oil theft.

He said, “Some of the oil thieves have private jet, yacht and private refineries aboard.

“If you see their skins, it glows like the backside of a newborn baby, very smooth. That is a typical oil thief. ”

The monarch added that the oil thieves are not residing in the Niger Delta communities, saying, “They don’t have a reason to go there. But if they ever have a reason to go to the Niger Delta region, they would be accompanied by JTF, Soldiers, Air Force, Navy, Police, Red Cross , Fire Brigade, and NSCDC, and then, there would be doctors and nurses too.

“And maybe you would be wondering why all of these. Because these guys have so much money. So much money that they don’t want to take the risk of coming to the swamps to get killed by mosquitoes .

“So incase they are bitten by mosquitoes, the doctors and nurses will rush them immediately right there and get them help and cured.”

Dakolo urged the federal government to correct the notion that Niger Deltans are part of the oil thieves sabotaging development in the Niger Delta.

“So the oil thieves could be far away . He could be in New York and London. It could be a foreign government or a foreign company.

“So the people that the federal government have been looking for are the victims of oil theft. People who are not able to make proper living because the country has frustrated them with limits.

“So those are the ones that they are calling oil thieves .” Dakolo said.

Earlier, Executive Director, Health of Mother Earth Foundation, Nnimmo Bassey described King Dakolo as an environmental and human rights activist of repute, and an intellectual partner of the Ijaw struggle for resource control in the 1990s.