By Gideon Njoku
For the second time within three months, the Nigeria Navy has been accused of economic sabotage. A couple of months ago, Asari Dokubo, a Niger Delta Warlord and a friend of the President, had alleged underhand businesses between crude oil thieves and the Military – the Navy.
Making the allegation, this time, against some officers of the Navy, is a private Surveillance Firm, Tantita, contracted by the Federal Government to protect crude oil pipelines in a bid to minimise crude oil theft and save Nigeria’s economy.
Tantita Security Services Nigeria Ltd, is owned by Government Ekpemopolo, a Niger Delta former militant leader. The contract, worth billions of Naira, seemingly on the high side, sat critics, has, however, saved hundreds of billions of Naira for the country as the Firm, had, on a number of times, dealt oil thieves a deadly blow by arresting them and uncovering their, atimes, unbelievable activities.
But Tantita is complaining of demoralisation.
The Firm, in a statement, said the Nigeria Navy is aiding and abetting oil thieves by stopping, and arresting its operatives, in pursuit of oil thieves in the high seas from arresting them, thus, allowing the thieves to escape.
Tantita’s statement on Saturday, September 2, 2023, said that the Nigeria Navy deliberately arrested and detained five of its men who were in pursuit of oil thieves, and so, made way for the thieves to escape. The arrested men are still in detention, according to the statement.
The Firm said the Navy lied when it claimed Tantita’s staff were arrested in connection with crude oil theft, as it has concrete evidence “to disprove the arrest and continued detention of its personnel over an alleged crude oil theft.”
Last week, Operatives of the Navy under Commodore Kolawole Oguntuga, Commander, Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS Beecroft, arrested five Tantita personnel along the waterways in Itolu community, Lekki, in Lagos State.
The Navy said it is investigating the circumstances that led to “economic sabotage and how the oil product from Ondo State made its way to the Lagos Sea.”
But in a statement on Saturday, Tantita said contrary to the claims, it was the Navy which engaged in economic sabotage.
In the detailed statement, the Firm explained: “On Monday, August 28, at about 1:30 p.m., a Tantita Security Services patrol team operating in the Ondo State area received credible intelligence that a motorised wooden boat was illegally loading crude oil from an offshore oil well jacket.
“In fact, the same well jacket in OML 110 operated by Cavendish Petroleum Nigeria Limited, where we caught MT TURA II stealing crude oil, a few months ago.
“They dispatched an advance team to find the wooden boat while a backup team comprising Nigeria Civil Defence and Security Corps (NSCDC) component of the government security agencies (GSA) was assembled to follow through on the lead.
“While we cannot name the NSCDC personnel for obvious reasons, they were six and our personnel were eight, not four. The advance team with the help of local fisher folk could determine that the motorised wooden boat was heading toward Lagos and gave hot pursuit.
“Upon noticing the approaching Tantita teams, the crew of the motorised wooden boat abandoned the wooden boat for their speed boat.
“One team of Tantita and NSCDC personnel boarded the wooden boat to secure the evidence while another team gave hot pursuit.
“There is video evidence of the Tantita team together with NSCDC personnel coming alongside the wooden boat, boarding and attempting to secure the boat.
“There is also evidence of the Tantita and GSA team giving chase to the crew of the boat. How then did the Nigerian Navy get involved in this operation?
“The escaping crew of the motorised wooden boat fled toward the Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base at Ibeju-Lekki, so the Tantita and NSCDC personnel followed in hot pursuit, believing that the criminals would meet their waterloo there.
“They were wrong. Instead of the fleeing crew being arrested, it was the Tantita personnel who came down to apprehend the fleeing crew that was arrested.
“After arresting Tantita personnel and freeing the crew, the Nigerian Navy personnel then went to the motorised wooden boat and drove out the combined Tantita/GSA team trying to keep the boat and the evidence afloat.”
The firm said it reached out to the Navy when its were arrested in order to clarify the situation. The Navy said it was investigating and promised the men would be released. They were not.
On the outcome of the Navy investigation, Tantita said it was privy to it, and disclosed: “There are even more damning revelations, which out of courtesy to the Navy hierarchy and the needs of national security we will not divulge on the pages of a newspaper”.
It noted: “The continued detention by the Nigerian Navy of these five brave, selfless Nigerians who risked their lives on the high seas to protect our commonwealth is a disservice to our nation.
“These family men put their lives at risk for the good of the nation and are now being made to suffer ridicule for doing the right thing. It serves to demoralise good men everywhere who have sought and are seeking to do something to better our nation.”
Neither the Navy nor the Federal Government has responded to this brewing scandal.
