PETITION: TANTITA SECURITY SERVICES NIGERIA LIMITED AS A TOOL OF TERROR, OCCUPATION, AND ANNEXATION OF ITSEKIRI HOMELAND
To:
His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
The Presidency, Aso Rock Villa
Abuja, Nigeria
Cc:
The National Security Adviser (NSA)
Minister of Defence
Chief of Defence Staff
National Human Rights Commission
Amnesty International Nigeria
United Nations Human Rights Office (West Africa)
Civil Society Organisations and the Media
Subject: Urgent Call to Investigate Tantita Security Services Limited, Government Ekpemupolo (aka Tompolo), and the Alleged Militarised Occupation, Terror, and Annexation of Itsekiri Communities in Warri South-West Local Government Area, Delta State
We, the undersigned concerned indigenes and citizens of the Itsekiri Nation, hereby bring to the urgent attention of the Federal Government of Nigeria and theinternational community the grave, ongoing atrocities, land annexation, and human rights violations perpetrated by Tantita Security Services Limited, allegedly under the control of ex-militant Government Ekpemupolo (aka Tompolo), in our ancestral lands, in Warri Kingdom
BACKGROUND
1. The Warri Crisis (1997–2003): During the height of the Warri Crisis, numerous Itsekiri communities, most notably Ugborodo, Aja-Ugbodundun, and others, were violently attacked by armed militants led by Tompolo. These attacks led to the beheading of elders, sexual violence against women and girls, the killing of children, and mass displacement. Homes were razed, communities abandoned, and crimes against humanity were committed with little or no accountability.
2. Militancy as a Smokescreen for Oil Theft: The Warri Crisis provided cover for illegal oil bunkering operations led by factions such as the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), many of which were funded or directed by individuals now in powerful positions. It is on public record that Government Ekpemupolo played a key leadership role in these groups (see: Sahara Reporters, 2008).
3. Federal Amnesty and the Rise of Tantita: Rather than being held accountable for past atrocities, Tompolo was granted amnesty in 2009 and shortly afterward awarded massive security contracts under the Niger Delta amnesty programme. By 2012, he was licensed to import arms and military-grade patrol boats via his company Global West Vessel Specialists Ltd (Sahara Reporters, 2012). Former President Olusegun Obasanjo publicly questioned the legality and wisdom of arming private individuals with military-grade weapons
(see: NigerianEye, 2015).
4. Establishment of Tantita Security Services Limited (TSSL): Tantita, ostensibly a private pipeline surveillance company, was awarded multibillion-naira contracts to secure national oil infrastructure. However, the reality on the ground reveals that TSSL has become a paramilitary extension of Tompolo's influence and power in the region, allegedly used to terrorise Itsekiri communities, annex land, and suppress dissent under the cover of "security operations."
CURRENT SITUATION
Illegal Occupation of Communities: Tantita operatives, allegedly acting under Tompolo's directive, have invaded and occupied over 20 Itsekiri communities, including Aja-Ugbodundun, Uso, Aja-Elebe, Akpata, and Sahara in Ugborodo. The community of Sahara has reportedly been under illegal occupation since 2021, renamed “Saharagbene”, a blatant attempt at erasing Itsekiri identity and heritage.
Militarisation and Intimidation: Tantita maintains a private cell facility in Opuraja, Delta State, where individuals are allegedly detained and tortured. This is a gross violation of both Nigerian and international law concerning unlawful detention and private armed militias.
Crimes Against Humanity: Reports from local residents and video documentation (available via links below) describe recurring harassment, arbitrary arrests, physical assaults, and even enforced disappearances. There is growing fear that these actions, if left unchecked, will lead to the permanent displacement of Itsekiri people from their ancestral homeland.
EVIDENCE AND SOURCES
• Facebook Testimony & Video 1
• https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1ES97TdKS2/?mibextid=wwXIfr
•
Sahara Reporters on Tompolo's Militant Ties (2008)
• https://saharareporters.com/2008/12/31/asari-dokubo-me-henry-okahjomogbomo-judith-asuni-and-niger-delta-insurgency
• Arms Importation Scandal (2012)
• https://saharareporters.com/2012/07/24/jonathan-gives-'tompolo'-contractsupply-20-marine-patrol-vessels-navy
• Obasanjo's Public Questions to Jonathan (2015)
• https://www.nigerianeye.com/2015/01/revealed-5-questions-obasanjoasked.html?m=1
• Tantita Accused of Crimes (Facebook Video)
• https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1EvpEeWfdP/?mibextid=wwXIfr
• https://www.facebook.com/share/v/16r3vs7Vm4/?mibextid=wwXIfr
• Cell Facility at Opuraja
• https://www.facebook.com/share/v/16cqhrtsy9/?mibextid=wwXIfr
OUR DEMANDS
1. Immediate Investigation: The Federal Government, the National Assembly, and the National Human Rights Commission must launch an independent, transparent investigation into Tantita Security Services Ltd., Government Ekpemupolo, and all alleged atrocities against Itsekiri communities.
2. Withdrawal of Tantita from Itsekiri Territories: Tantita operatives must be withdrawn from all occupied Itsekiri communities, and the original names of these places restored.
3. Disarmament of Private Militias: No private company or individual should be authorised to bear arms or maintain private detention facilities.
4. Justice for Victims: Perpetrators of violence, past and present, must be brought to justice. Victims and affected communities must receive reparations and proper security guarantees.
5. Government Protection: We call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to protect the Itsekiri Nation and ensure that no group, individual, or corporation is above the law.
CONCLUSION
The Itsekiri people have suffered enough, from the Warri Crisis to the present-day occupation of their land. We call on your administration to show leadership and uphold justice. Nigeria cannot afford to reward those who once tore it apart and now disguise exploitation under the cloak of patriotism and "security contracts."
We are peaceful people. But peace without justice is merely submission. Mr President, save our land. Protect our people. Uphold the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Signed:
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