6th November, 2022
Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
Ex-militant Niger Delta militant leader, Chief Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo has been receiving death threats from persons believed to be behind theft of Nigeria’s oil as exposed by his Tantita Security Services Limited, one of his aides has said.
He also said operatives of Tantita Security Services Limited who have exposed illegal pipelines being used for theft of crude oil in the various parts of Niger Delta have come under attack of gunmen desperate to sustain the illegal activities.
However, Tompolo has vowed that no threats will stop his zeal to continue his fight against oil theft, the aide said.
According to him, the ex -militant leader has vowed to deploy the zeal with which he agitated during the struggle for the emancipation of the Niger Delta region to combat oil thieves that are sabotaging the economic development of the country.
The aide, who identified himself as Waterway Crayfish, quoted Tompolo as saying those bombarding him and his household with threat messages over the surveillance job he secured from the Federal Government are saboteurs who would continue to have his security outfit to contend with.
Tompolo’s comments came few days after Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa and the Vice Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, threw his weight behind the feat recorded by his security outfit within a few weeks after the contract was awarded to him.
He added that the ex-militant leader has vowed that there would be not a sacred cow in the discharge of the contract assignment.
According to the aide, Tompolo’s primary concern now is about how Nigeria’s crude oil production will rise to two million barrels per day.
He said the discovery of an illegal oil pipeline that was attached to the Forcados oil trunk and the burning of oil bunkering vessel on the region’s high sea, were testimonies of the riot act he read against oil thieves.
“Our Tantita Security Services Limited in the Creeks has been getting steady threat messages from suspected oil thieves to stop the illegal business of oil bunkering. No amount of threat and mudslinging would derail us from beaming searchlight on discoveries of illegal pipelines that were attached to the Forcados Terminal into the sea.
“For threat messages, it is normal. Since illegal oil vessels were intercepted some weeks ago, the threat messages assumed a dangerous dimension.
“Just yesterday (last week) here, they sent messages to threaten me, but we have remained unperturbed. It is something we can handle.
“We are knowledgeable about the operation in the territorial waters of Nigeria and as a former militant, I clearly have the capacity to combat any possible attack from any illegal bunkerer with my men,” he said.
Our Correspondent reports that gunmen recently attacked the personnel of Tantita Security at Aleibiri community, Ekeremor LGA in Bayelsa State during which a 200HP speed boat was reportedly stolen.
However, the coordinator of the unit which was attacked was able to calm his boys and prevent retaliatory attack on the community as they investigate to find the culprits.
Tantita Security was awarded over N4 billion monthly contract by the Federal government to secure the pipelines and reduce/stop illegal bunkering and other forms of oil theft.