As Nigeria celebrates an increase in crude oil production to 1.8 million barrels per day, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, has raised alarms over persistent challenges in combating oil theft. The Chairman of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited accused some security agencies, particularly the Nigerian Navy, of complicity in the illegal trade during a heated confrontation in Port Harcourt involving a seized vessel.
Tompolo made these revelations while hosting the national leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), led by its president, Mazi Afam Osigwe, at Oporoza in Delta State’s Gbaramatu Kingdom. The NBA delegation visited the region on a fact-finding mission to assess oil theft’s impact on oil-producing communities and the national economy.
Tompolo accused Nigerian Navy personnel of firing shots at members of Tantita Security Services, alongside officials from the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), during an operation. He alleged that his efforts to protect oil pipelines have made him a target of powerful individuals benefitting from the illegal trade. He said, “What we want is for you to support the President of this country and Tantita Security Services. While doing this work, we are stepping on a lot of toes—big players in Lagos and Abuja. Most times, Tantita Security has confrontations with the Navy and others.”
He appealed to Nigerians and government security agencies to rally behind President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms, warning that unchecked oil theft could deepen the country’s financial woes. In response, NBA President Osigwe called for collective efforts to combat oil theft, emphasizing its devastating impact on Nigeria’s economy and governance. He said, “Our fates are tied together. We have a common interest in seeing the Nigerian economy work and the commonwealth protected.”
Osigwe highlighted Tantita Security’s achievements in reducing pipeline vandalism and reiterated the NBA’s commitment to addressing oil theft’s legal and systemic challenges. The Pere of Gbaramatu Kingdom, His Majesty Oboro-Gbaraun II, also voiced concerns about the neglect of oil-producing communities. He lamented, “The presence of government is far from us. We feed the coffers of this country, but we need the government to do the needful for us to also reciprocate.”
The monarch advocated for the establishment of a magistrate court in the region and urged legal practitioners to visit the area for a first-hand understanding of cases affecting the community. As Nigeria eyes an oil production target of two million barrels per day by December, stakeholders like Tompolo, Tantita Security, and the NBA are urging unified action to curb oil theft, ensure justice, and secure the nation’s economic future.
