Cabals, Oil Thieves Should be Called To Order, Not Tompolo 

By Ezekiel Kagbala

There seems to be unwholesome fear that Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, TSSNL, a private pipeline surveillance company, operated by High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, in the Niger Delta, is about to put cabals and big-time illegal oil bunkerer out of business.

It could be recalled that some security officials tried to prevent taking into custody a vessel, MT Tura II, that was caught with illegal 150,000 metric tons of illegal crude oil worth $86.8m in July 2023.

Investigations revealed that oil Cartels, sometimes ago engaged MT Tura II in the last 12 years to pilfering crude oil from Nigeria to neighboring countries. Sadly, the cabals are not giving up, they wanted Tantita Security out of the way for them to expand their illegal oil deals that has earned them billions of dollars. They may have felt that Tompolo would chase out those in the ugly trade who may not belong to their cartel just to ease their looting.

They are so sofosticated that oil companies, security officials, professionals and oil companies have keyed into the inglorious venture, hence they are so emboldened to the extent of protecting thieving vessels and stand in opposition to Tompolo's Tantita Security.

Recall that when President Bola Tinubu, directed Service Chiefs, heads of security, and intelligence agencies to “crush” oil thieves, stakeholders told him that top military officers are among the oil cabal sponsoring illegal oil refining and crude oil theft.

President Tinubu was advised to "Identify, expose, and penalize top military officers, including Army, Police, Airforce, DSS, Navy, etc (both serving and retired); Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPCL; International Oil Companies, IOCs; and politicians involved in crude oil theft.

Nigerians could see why the Cabals are trying to fault Tantita Security and Tompolo for daring and stepping on their toes even going further to smoke out the suspected oil criminals.

It is embarrassing to the country when suspected oil thieves and organized criminals are calling on President Tinubu to "call Tompolo to order, which order? They even have the efontry to threaten that Something very dangerous is brewing in the Niger Delta"

Oil Cartels, Criminals, and thieves cannot stop  Tompolo and derail the economic and environmental benefits to be achieved from the end of illegal oil bunkering and oil theft in the country and Niger Delta. 

Some lawless business entities are faulting Tantita Security Service following the recent incident involving MT PRAISEL, a vessel that was arrested for investigations on suspected shoddy oil deals. The lawless entities even went further to call for ease of doing illegal business in the Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.

Tompolo's Tantita Security and its personnel have worked passionately, sacrificing alot to take criticisms all in efort to increase the country’s oil revenue by reducing oil theft. Doing so has greatly increased Nigeria’s total oil exports and reduced oil spills that is causing severe environmental damages in the Niger Delta. 

The thieves are so disconnected from reality to the extent that they failed to understand that Illegal oil bunkering encompasses all acts involving oil theft, diversion, smuggling, and unauthorized loading of ships which Tantita security was contracted to stop and they have done just that.

It is important for President Tinubu's Government to firmly boost and upgrade the contract scope of the Tantita security company to do more.