The partnership between ex-militant leader Government Ekpemupolo (Tompolo) and Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited (TSSNL) has generated significant controversy across Delta State communities, despite regulatory officials praising their performance in securing oil installations across the Niger Delta region under contract with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL).
Community Opposition Emerges
The controversy began when Delta State’s Itsekiri leadership, known as Omadino, raised serious allegations against Tompolo and his company. The community leaders accused TSSNL of operational misconduct, showing ethnic favouritism, engaging in territorial renaming, and encroaching on traditional lands.
Mrs. Tsaye Mene, an activist and chairperson of the Egwa-tie community, expressed concerns that Tompolo’s contested claims to Omadino territories were fueling dangerous tensions between the Itsekiri and Ijaw ethnic communities. An Itsekiri activist went further, questioning the wisdom of the federal government’s decision to award pipeline surveillance contracts to individuals who previously gained prominence through violence, rather than maintaining them under government surveillance.
UPU Enters the Dispute
The conflict escalated when the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU), representing the Urhobo ethnic group statewide, demanded the federal government terminate TSSNL’s operations in Urhobo territories. UPU President General Ese Gam Ode, referencing the Petroleum Industry Act of 2021, argued that host communities possess the legal authority to protect oil and gas facilities within their boundaries.
The union rejected what they termed “outsiders” operating without accountability at the expense of Urhobo communities, insisting that oil facility surveillance contracts should be awarded to qualified indigenous Urhobo security contractors instead.
Strategic Reversal
However, the UPU dramatically reversed its position on July 7, withdrawing its opposition to TSSNL operations following intense criticism from Urhobo youth who openly challenged the union’s stance. In a letter to the National Security Adviser titled “Withdrawal of Earlier Letter and Resolution of Issues Related to Tantita Security Operations in Urhobo Land,” the UPU acknowledged that their initial information had changed and that productive discussions with Tantita had resolved earlier concerns.
Defense from Within
TSSNL’s employed Itsekiri and Urhobo coordinators mounted a strong defense of their operations. Itsekiri cluster coordinators, led by Samson Uwatse from Ugbodede, issued a comprehensive rebuttal denying allegations of land grabbing, renaming, or ethnic bias. They emphasized that Tantita operates solely as a security contractor with federal mandate to protect Nigeria’s oil and gas infrastructure, not as a land administration agency.
The coordinators highlighted Tantita’s job creation impact, noting over 1,500 direct and indirect employment opportunities for Itsekiri youth, including more than 135 positions specifically for the Omadino, Obodo, and Opumami clusters. They characterized the attacks as politically motivated rather than based on legitimate grievances.
Urhobo Coordinators Respond
Urhobo TSSNL coordinators, including Daniel Okpetsagha, president general of the Ugborhen community, revealed that Tantita currently employs over 3,500 youth from 88 communities across 16 Urhobo kingdoms. They expressed confidence in TSSNL leadership, including High Chief Government Ekpemuopolo, Managing Director Kestin Pondi, and Dr. Paul Bebenimibo.
The coordinators emphasized that nearly 4,000 Urhobo indigenes earn monthly wages as Tantita operatives and coordinators, with every kilometer of pipeline in Urhobo territory protected exclusively by local community members. They credited Tantita’s advanced technology and management skills with dramatically reducing vandalism, oil theft, illegal refining, and environmental degradation over the past two years.
Isoko Communities Speak Out
Isoko oil-bearing communities distanced themselves from the ethnic agitations, with their leadership suggesting the protests were orchestrated by oil thieves seeking to dismantle surveillance operations. Chief Idonis Uwubare, chairman of all Isoko president generals and leader of the Irri kingdom, noted that previous surveillance contracts awarded to non-indigenous companies like Eraskorp Nigeria Limited and Ocean Marine Services Limited faced no ethnic-based opposition, even during periods when oil theft reduced national production to just 700,000 barrels per day.
The Isoko leaders condemned attempts to cancel Tantita’s contract, describing the company as one of the region’s largest employers and a significant contributor to regional stability. They characterized the opposition as misleading and potentially harmful to federal efforts to secure national oil and gas assets.
Credit: Vanguard Newspaper
