By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Tantita Security Services, a private security company engaged by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) is conniving with oil thieves in the Niger Delta region of the country to sabotage the economy, the Nigerian Navy has alleged.
The security company, owned by an ex-Niger Delta warlord, Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, was set up as part of measures to assuage ex-agitators who alleged they were not being compensated for damages done in their region as a result of oil activities there.
The contract between federal government of Nigeria and Tantita Security Service gulps several millions of Naira annually but navy believes the company does not fight oil theft, which has consistently affected the country’s daily output.
The Nigerian Navy while announcing the arrest of a 77-metre-long Motor Tanker Vinnalaris 1 Lagos arrested by its personnel on Thursday said the vessel had 17 crew members onboard at the time of arrest.
The Navy said the crew was caught engaging in illegal siphoning of crude oil from one of the well heads at EBESAN oil field about seven nautical miles off the coast of Awoye riverine community in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.
A statement by the service’s spokesperson, Adedotun Ayo-Vaughan, said the arrest of the vessel was based on credible intelligence received by the Base on the illegal activities of crude oil thieves at the location which informed the swift deployment of FOB Igbokoda personnel to enforce the arrest of the vessel and her crew.
The statement reads: “Notably, as the anti-crude oil theft patrol team of FOB Igbokoda approached MT VINNALARIS 1 Lagos, the two boats attached to the vessel fled on sighting the naval personnel which confirmed the engagement of the vessel in illegality.
“Accordingly, on arrival at the scene, it was discovered that the vessel was actively involved in siphoning crude oil from both sides of the wellhead. Consequently, upon further search and interrogation, it was further discovered that the vessel had onboard 17 crew members of Nigerian nationality. The vessel’s storage capacity is about 15,000 metric tonnes and as of the time of arrest, she had loaded about 500 metric tonnes of crude oil.
“Furthermore, it is believed that Tantita Security Service is involved in these illegalities because the Awoye riverine area which is close to the place of arrest is covered by TSS. Again, it was upon the arrest of the vessel by the Nigerian Navy that TSS began to raise false alarms, totally unfounded and indeed mischievous.
“Nonetheless, the Nigerian Navy remains resolute in the pursuit of her constitutional mandate for the protection of Nigeria’s maritime environment for national economic development and prosperity.”
