Call to Split Tantita Pipeline Surveillance Contract is a Criminal Agitation — Ijaw Youth Leader Akiefa Warns FG
By Ezekiel Kagbala
The Deputy President of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide, Chief Akiefa Frank, has issued a stern warning to the Federal Government against what he described as a “dangerous and criminal agitation” to split the pipeline surveillance contract currently handled by Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, cautioning that such a move could reverse hard-won gains in the fight against crude oil theft and economic sabotage in the Niger Delta.
Speaking on Saturday in Warri, Akiefa condemned recent calls for decentralisation of the surveillance framework, describing them as a calculated attempt to weaken an effective security architecture that has significantly curtailed illegal bunkering and pipeline vandalism across the region.
The Ijaw youth leader was reacting to remarks attributed to ex-militant leader Ebikabowei Victor Ben, popularly known as Boyloaf, who in a viral video urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to fragment the existing contract.
Akiefa, however, dismissed the proposal as “sinister, reckless, and economically destructive.”
According to him, any attempt to split the surveillance contract risks reopening the floodgates of organized oil theft, warning that “fragmentation will create operational loopholes, weaken accountability, and embolden criminal networks that had been forced out of business.”
He further alleged that the agitation is being driven by “desperate and self-serving actors” seeking to regain access to illicit oil revenues under the guise of regional inclusion. “This is not about fairness or equity,” he said. “It is a coordinated push to legitimize criminality and return the Niger Delta to the dark days of unchecked bunkering and pipeline sabotage.”
Akiefa also took aim at a reported stakeholders’ meeting in Port Harcourt, where calls were made for the decentralisation of pipeline contracts. He described the move as “a veiled strategy to institutionalize oil theft in certain parts of the region,” insisting that many of those championing the cause lack both the capacity and track record to manage such critical national assignments.
Highlighting the performance of Tantita Security Services, Akiefa noted that the company’s operations have led to measurable improvements in oil production levels, enhanced pipeline protection, and increased government revenue. He warned that dismantling such a structure for political or personal interests would amount to “economic sabotage of the highest order.”
“The Federal Government must not bow to blackmail or propaganda,” he stressed.
“Those behind this agitation are enemies of national progress and should be thoroughly investigated. Their ultimate goal is to create chaos within the oil sector for selfish enrichment.”
Akiefa urged President Tinubu to remain resolute and protect the integrity of the current surveillance framework, emphasizing that stability in the oil-producing region is directly tied to Nigeria’s economic survival.
“The stakes are too high for experimentation,” he concluded.
“Any attempt to tamper with a working system will not only endanger national assets but also undermine the fragile peace and security in the Niger Delta.”
