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.Calls for arrest, investigation of Tantita Staff
By Bayo Davids
A pro accountability group based in oil-rich Niger Delta, the Movement for the Sustainable Development of the Niger Delta (MSDND) has petitioned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu, the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Mattawalle, the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, the Inspector General of Police IGP Kayode Egbetokun, and the Director General of the State Security Service (SSS) to commence immediate investigations of the entire management staff of the private security firm Tantita Security Services Limited over alleged criminal activities.
This is even as the group called for holistic interrogation of claims by the security firm belonging to ex-militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, also known as Tompolo, of shady deals relating to alleged crude oil theft.
The MSDND, in their petition, claimed that while Nigerians and the world were allegedly deceived by media propaganda and made to believed that the private security company had in the past few weeks seized two vessels allegedly involved in crude oil theft off Bayelsa waters, “The vessels were allegedly lured in, and entrapped by officials of Tantita Security Service Limited to score political and media points in their bid to win over the Bayelsa Central Corridor of the proposed multi-million dollars crude oil pipeline surveillance contract.”
The group also claimed that in order to scale down the powers and noticeable pressure from the Nigeria Navy against alleged questionable activities of some Tantita personnel in the war against illegal bunkering and crude oil theft, the recent petition against the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla by Pelumi Olajengbesi, Mohammed Suleiman, Aisha Waliki, Deji Adeyanju and Ogunwoye Samson was allegedly sponsored by Tantita’s management and released to the media.
In a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Kelvin Orughoe, the group argued that the seizure of the said vessels and the false allegations made against the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla were conveniently designed to hoodwink the Federal Government in order to favour Tantita Security Services Limited with the multi-million dollars crude oil pipeline surveillance contract while throwing the Nigeria Navy off balance whose constitutional responsibility is to protect the territorial waters of the country.
The group, in their petition dated 13th of February 2024, noted that “upon the conclusion of our clandestine and detailed investigations conducted by major stakeholders from the region, our findings showed a clear attempt to usurp the constitutional powers of the Nigeria Navy and use individuals to cast aspersions on the hard-earned integrity of the Nigeria Security networks including the Nigerian Navy.”
The petition claimed that “the arrested Captain of the Vessel was allegedly called on satellite phone and handed navigational coordinates close to Tompolo’s territory for anchoring where it was arrested. The vessel and its captain were lure to an isolated location with a promise to load crude oil, but rather they were entrapped and paraded before the world as crude oil thieves.”
“Is it not strange that Tantita officials initially claimed that the vessel was arrested at Sokebolou oil field in Bayelsa state. But after our group faulted their report in the media and knowing that they have been caught in a blatant lie, they changed the location of the MT Kali’s arrest to Pelleghton in Bayelsa claiming that it was at the offshore location of the Anglo-Dutch energy giant, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) in Bayelsa State.”
“Our investigations, which can be easily verified, revealed that the Nigerian Navy has over three (3) large gunboats (Natsha II, Vakpor II, and Vakpor III) all stationed around Pelleghton securing the entire area against crude oil theft and illegal movement of vessels, and we can confirm that Shell (SPDC) does not have an operational station in Pelleghton; thus, Tantita lied again to the public.”
“How can you claim to have arrested a vessel that is engaged in large scale crude oil theft and not know the actual location where the vessel was arrested? This is because it was all set-up and made-up for good media propaganda in order to deceive the federal government into thinking that they are working extensively, and to eventually hand them the Bayelsa Central Corridor of the proposed multi-million dollars crude oil pipeline surveillance contract.”
“If their claims are true, then why was the seized vessel removed from the loading station and taken to Oporoza in Tompolo’s community in Delta state to anchor and conduct the media propaganda? Is Tompolo or Tantita the EFCC, the Police, the DSS, or the investigating agency? Would it not make sense if the said vessel was videoed at the loading station or kept there until daybreak for the world to see rather than taking the vessel to Tompolo’s territory before calling the media.”
“We ask that the security agencies including the Nigeria Navy launch major operations into Jones Creeks in Delta state where Tompolo and his team are allegedly conducting illegal bunkering and loading vessels with crude oil. We became privy to this information when some highly placed community sources stated that the content in the seized vessels were Remanent on Board (ROB) and uploaded with stolen crude by Tompolo’s team. Also, different tactics were utilised to invite and deceive the Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Musa during his ill-timed visit to Tompolo’s territory, rather than the loading station where the said vessel were arrested.”
“Tompolo and the management staff of Tantita Security Services Limited including their collaborators at the NNPCL believed that they have successfully fooled Nigerians which is why they used similar tactics to entrap the second vessel, a Moldovan sea cargo vessel known as MT Harbor Spirit with International Maritime Organisation (IMO) number: 8226272, was caught while loading crude oil from the Sangana oil field in Brass on the eastern coast of Bayelsa state close to Rivers state. These falsehoods meant for TV camaras as there are multiple security gunboats covering hundreds of nautical miles surrounding this area.”
“Why would Tantita move the seized vessel from the eastern part of Bayelsa state and travel close to one hundred nautical miles without being stopped by the numerous security operatives along the coast until they got to Tompolo’s community in Oporoza, Delta state before calling the TV cameras? Also, any maritime expert that looks at the floating vessel will see that the vessel did not contain the quantity of stolen products as claimed by Tantita management. These activities are all entrapment and set-up for media propaganda, and it must stop,” the petition read in part
Speaking on allegations against the Navy boss, the MSDND called on the security agencies and the Nigerian Navy to make urgent arrests and investigate the false and sponsored claims made by these activists and lawyers, Barrister Pelumi Olajengbesi, Esq, Comrade Deji Adeyanju, Comrade Mohammed Suleiman SK, Barrister Aisha Waliki, Esq and Comrade Ogunwoye Samson.
It however supported the position of the Nigerian Navy, describing the claims against the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla as “sponsored lie. Nigerians should ask if Tompolo and his Tantita Security Services Limited has replaced the Nigerian Navy and other security agencies along its territorial waters? Why did they take the seized vessels away from the location of arrest to the backyard of Tompolo before calling the media?”
The group further warned members of the National Assembly especially the Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum (Upstream), Hon Alhassan Ado-Doguwa to desists from their ill-fated plan to initiate legal frameworks to break the monopoly of the Nigeria Navy in the policing of the nation’s blue water and deep sea, where the economic assets of the country in the oil and gas sectors are located.
“Tompolo, the alleged owner of Tantita Security Services Limited is a wanted criminal as publicly listed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) therefore it will be of grave consequence to hand the security of our nation’s waterways to criminal elements. Members of the National Assembly should be warned to cease from jeopardizing the nation’s national and economic security by aligning with alleged oil criminals against the Nigerian Navy and other security agencies which are capable of truncating our democracy.”
“We are all aware that Tompolo and Tantita Security Services Limited has allegedly compromised some politicians, presidential aides, NNPCL Officials and other sponsored groups to do their biddings, and in their quest to secure the Bayelsa Central Corridor of the proposed multi-million dollars crude oil pipeline surveillance contract against the will of the people of Bayelsa state and millions of people across the Niger Delta region,” it added.