Former Niger Delta militants in Ondo State have called upon President Bola Tinubu to decentralize the surveillance contract awarded to Tantita Security Services, a private security company owned by ex-Niger Delta agitator Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo. The contract, valued at billions of naira, was granted to Tantita to secure the country’s oil pipelines in 2022.
The ex-militants, operating under the banner of The Niger Delta Coastline Vanguard, have been actively preventing the activities of vandals in the region. They are advocating for the decentralization of the surveillance contract to include their group.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, the President of the group, Job Omotuwa, appealed to President Tinubu to allow his group to cover the littoral corridor of Ondo, Ogun, and Lagos States.
Omotuwa explained, “The Niger Delta Coastline Vanguard is a group of ex-militants who, under the Presidential Amnesty Program, submitted weapons and were granted pardon in 2017 with a promise to be properly integrated into the Federal Government Amnesty program with all accrued benefits.”
He further noted that the group operates under a registered company called Steve-Latcon Security Services and Niger Delta Coastline Vanguard, with a commendable track record of waterway security within and outside the state over an extended period.
The group cited their successful anti-vandalism efforts, such as the arrest of individuals transporting Automotive Gas Oil and the apprehension of a vessel involved in illegal petroleum product dealings, as evidence of their competence in safeguarding the region.
Omotuwa urged the President to consider their appeal for the sake of equity, fairness, and peace in the region, calling for their inclusion in the ongoing decentralization plan of the pipeline surveillance contract for the South West littoral states.
He also stressed their commitment to resist any imposition by the government or its agents, particularly if such an imposition involves individuals from outside their ethnic nationality. The group is determined to maintain the existing peace in the region and protect their interests in the surveillance contract.
This development highlights the ongoing discussions and negotiations regarding the security of vital oil pipelines and the involvement of various stakeholders in the region.