The Nigerian Army says it is not aware of the existence or operationability of the Private Military Company (PMC) ex-Niger Delta militant, Asari Dokubo, formerly known as Melford Dokubo Goodhead Jnr is touting to own or operate within Nigeria.
Nigerian Army Spokesperson, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, told Global Upfront Newspapers (GUN) in an exclusive interview that it has “never conducted any operation jointly or side by side with Asari or the organization he represents or in any of those areas he mentioned or in any theatre of operations.”
General Nwachukwu also told GUN that the veracity of Asari’s assertions that “he owns a private military company that was engaged by the Government of Nigeria…can only be ascertained by the relevant agency, statutorily mandated to licence such outfits.”
According to Nwachukwu: “Going by that interview, Dokubo claims he owns a private military company that was engaged by the Government of Nigeria.
“The veracity of his claim can only be ascertained by the relevant agency, statutorily mandated to licence such outfits.
“However, it must be clarified, that the Nigerian Army is not in any form of partnership or collaborative pact with the ex-militant or whatever private security outfit he claims to own.
“It is also expedient to place on record that contrary to his claims, the Nigerian Army has never conducted any operation jointly or side by side with Asari or the organization he represents, in any of those areas he mentioned or in any theatre of operations.”
Asari Dokubo, in a recent podcast that went viral over the weekend, revealed that he owns a Private Military Company that was engaged by the government of the Nigerian State.
In the podcast with Seun Okinbaloye of Channels TV, Dokubo also claimed that his PMC is licenced by the federal government and that he has been engaged to provide military service and operates in States like Imo, Enugu, Plateau and Niger States.
He said that his operations in Anambra State has been stopped but didn’t say for how long and his modus operandi in these areas he claimed to have deployed his PMC.