In a strong call to action, the Northern Peoples Forum (Kwungiyar Mutanen Arewa) has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to take immediate action and bring the Nigerian Navy segment operating in the oil rivers back on track.
The Forum made this plea during a protest held outside the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) headquarters in Abuja, yesterday, expressing their concerns over the activities of the Nigerian Navy in the oil rivers of the Niger Delta.
The street demonstration was sparked by the recent arrest of some personnel of Tantita Security Limited—Asonja Goddey, Obajimi Oluwaseyifunmi, Awolowo Aribo, and Oluwadaisi Balogun—by the Nigerian Navy.
The protesters bore placards with inscriptions relevant to their demands, calling for the President’s intervention. They questioned the Navy’s action, highlighting the supposed interagency collaboration that should exist between the military and Tantita.
According to them, the segment of the Navy operating in the oil rivers has seemingly lost its focus. The group’s chairman, Alhaji Saidu Bello, voiced the collective frustration and expressed concerns over the impact of these activities on Nigeria’s economic stability and called for immediate action from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. “Any circumstances under which the main source of the Nigerian economy is affected upsets not only the Nigerian state but several ancillary units and services that rely on the Nigerian economy,” he argued.
The Forum pressed for a new security template, urging the Nigerian Navy to focus on protecting the nation’s marine blue line and letting other security agencies police the waterways. Bello said, “While we recognize some elements of the Nigerian military for their relentless sacrifice to Nigeria, it’s difficult to
believe that the Nigerian Navy, a component of the military, arrested these men operating in the same trajectory and service directions as their colleagues in other sectors.
“We call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Commander-in-Chief of the Federation of Nigeria, to immediately order the Nigerian Navy segment that appears to have lost its focus in the oil rivers to regroup. “We demand a new security template that includes, but is not limited to, reassigning the Nigerian Navy in the oil rivers to its primary role of protecting against interference in the nation’s marine border. “Furthermore, we urge the Navy to make arrests in response to any illegal activities across the border, originating from inbound marine activities. This will allow other security agencies assigned to police Nigeria’s waterways to effectively carry out their duties.”
The Forum also called for an extension of the contract term for Tantita Security Services Limited which has been lauded for its efforts in curbing illegal activities in the oil river. They argued that NNPCL’s GMD, Mallam Mele Kolo Kyari, had previously credited Tantita for a significant increase in oil production, which rose from an all-time low of less than 1 million barrels per day to an average of 1.47 million barrels per day.
“Finally, we respectfully request the President and Commander in Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces to exemplify the path of patriotism demonstrated by a government that rewards diligence and hard work.
“We urge him to extend the contract term of Tantita Security Services Limited, a group that has evidently played a crucial role in optimizing crude oil production levels through their tireless efforts,” Bello said.
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