Ijaw Youths Seek Support For TSL’s Anti-oil Theft Campaign

The Ijaw Youths Network (IYN), has called on the federal government and all Nigerians to give the requisite support to the ongoing campaign against oil theft being spearheaded by Tantita Security Services Limited (TSL).

The group also called on the leadership of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited and the security agencies to ensure that ongoing efforts to curtail the massive theft of Nigeria’s oil resources are not sabotaged by people in strategic positions.

The pan-Ijaw group gave the admonition in a statement by its national coordinator, Frank Ebikabo and secretary, Federal Ebiaridor.

The IYN  expressed deep worry over the arrest of operatives of Tantita Security Services Limited by the Navy in Ibeju Lekki, Lagos, for alleged oil theft a few days ago.

The group which called for the immediate release of the operatives of TSL in custody of the Navy, further said that what the nation needed at this critical phase was total onslaught against oil theft and not a show of division among the organisations fighting the scourge.

The group said that it should be of concern to the government and the citizens of Nigeria and all those who mean well for the country that suspects of oil theft were shielded from arrest while those carrying out their legitimate duty of arresting them were picked up as alleged by Tantita with video evidence.

It noted that the federal government and the NNPC which took the commendable step to engage the private security outfits to fight the unprecedented theft of the nation’s crude resources in August 2022, should be firm against the surreptitious move to discredit the ongoing efforts.

The group said that it is indeed alarming, though expected, that those behind the criminal theft of the nation’s resources are deploying their massive intelligence, weight and resources to stifle the fight against oil theft.

It described the conflict in the statement made by the Nigerian Navy on the arrest of the rogue vessel MT Praisel and the arrest of five Tantita operatives for purported oil theft and the rush to the media to discredit the firm as confusing, unhealthy and suspicious.

It urged Nigerians not to forget in a hurry the terrifying facts about the daily theft of 200,000 barrels of crude oil by the rampaging oil thieves amounting to the loss of over 120 million barrels of crude oil from January and September 2022 translating to $12.6 billion in less than a year.

The group cautioned against public display of rancour between those entrusted with the responsibility of coordinating concerted action against the syndicates of oil thieves, describing the current situation as curious.