By Felix Ekwu
For decades, oil theft, pipeline vandalism, and the accompanying environmental degradation have drained billions from Nigeria’s oil-dependent economy, with government agencies struggling to contain the menace.
However, since the Nigerian Government under the administration of the late President Muhammadu Buhari contracted Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited (TSSNL) in 2022, the narrative has shifted. The nation’s battle against oil theft and pipeline vandalism has witnessed a decisive turnaround. What conventional military operations failed to achieve, Tantita’s grassroots-driven strategy has delivered.
Prior to Tantita’s involvement, several indigenous firms, owned by influential individuals from Delta and other Niger Delta states, had been awarded similar surveillance contracts. However, many of these firms failed to demonstrate the capacity required to curb the menace, performing abysmally.
The company, owned by ex-militant leader Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, has become a key player in securing Nigeria’s critical oil infrastructure, fundamentally altering the country’s approach to oil theft and pipeline protection. Tantita’s rise followed a controversial but pragmatic federal decision to engage private security outfits—including Tantita—in safeguarding national oil assets.
Leveraging Tompolo’s local influence and deep understanding of the Niger Delta terrain, Tantita has established a formidable operational presence in the creeks and difficult-to-access locations where oil theft syndicates once operated with impunity.
Key Achievements of Tantita
1. Significant Reduction in Oil Theft:
Multiple illegal refineries and tapping points have been discovered and dismantled. Incidents of pipeline vandalism have dropped significantly across key operational areas.
2. Increased Crude Oil Production:
Improved security around oil infrastructure has contributed to Nigeria’s gradual recovery in crude oil output, enabling more consistent compliance with OPEC quotas.
3. Boost to Local Content and Employment:
Tantita’s operations have created thousands of direct and indirect jobs for Niger Delta youths, addressing some of the socio-economic grievances that historically fuel restiveness.
4. Enhanced Community Engagement:
Tantita’s deep roots in local communities foster cooperation rather than resistance. Locals now view pipeline protection as a shared responsibility.
5. Improved Intelligence Gathering:
With insider knowledge and community collaboration, Tantita has enhanced intelligence gathering and interdiction of oil theft operations, disrupting syndicate activities.
Challenges and Criticisms
Despite Tantita’s successes, the award of the pipeline surveillance contract to the company has faced some criticisms. Some critics have argued that outsourcing critical national infrastructure security to such entities sets a questionable precedent. Concerns have also been raised about the need for robust oversight to prevent power concentration and ensure accountability.
Nevertheless, Tantita has largely proven its critics wrong, achieving measurable results where conventional security approaches had repeatedly failed.
Recent criticisms from groups like the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU), which questioned the inclusiveness of Tantita’s operations, have been met with backlash from thousands of Urhobo youths. These youths not only publicly rejected the UPU’s stance but also commended Tantita for its engagement efforts, which have significantly reduced restiveness and crime in their communities.
Changing the Narrative
What sets Tantita apart is its hybrid approach—merging traditional security strategies with grassroots engagement. By integrating former insurgents’ terrain knowledge with modern surveillance techniques, Tantita has created an unconventional yet effective security model.
More importantly, by involving local communities in surveillance efforts, Tantita fosters a sense of ownership and shared responsibility—something top-down security strategies have historically lacked.
However, sustaining these gains will require ongoing vigilance, transparent oversight, and policies that ensure inclusivity while integrating broader security reforms.
Tantita’s experience underscores a critical lesson: lasting solutions to oil theft and pipeline sabotage in Nigeria may lie not just in force, but in community-driven partnerships that blend local intelligence with strategic security frameworks.
