“Fresh Niger Delta Crisis Looms: Itsekiri Stakeholders Demand End to Tantita’s Surveillance Contract”

By Passman Akpos

The Committee of Concerned Itsekiri Stakeholders has accused the leadership of Tantita Security Services of orchestrating the alleged abduction, unlawful detention, and torture of three youth leaders from Ijaghala Community in Delta State, while calling on the Federal Government to launch an independent investigation into the incident.

In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Maja Taste, and dated July 30, 2026, the committee said the Chairman, Secretary, and Public Relations Officer of the Ijaghala Youth Council were allegedly forcefully taken from Ijaghala Community to Oporoza, where they were reportedly held for more than 36 hours before being released.

According to the committee, the youths were allegedly subjected to torture, starvation, degrading treatment, and denied access to legal representation and medical care during their detention. The statement described the alleged actions as violations of constitutional rights guaranteed under Sections 34, 35, and 41 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

The committee claimed that video recordings, eyewitness accounts, and medical reports relating to the incident had been submitted to the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).

It called for an immediate and impartial investigation, prosecution of anyone found responsible, and the dismantling of what it described as illegal private detention facilities allegedly operating under the guise of security contracts.

The statement also revisited the long-standing dispute over land ownership in the Escravos axis of Warri South-West Local Government Area, maintaining that Ijaghala is an autonomous Itsekiri community within the Ugborodo Federated Communities.

The committee asserted that, based on history, custom, and continuous occupation, lands stretching from Omadino through the Escravos River to Ugborodo fall within the traditional domains of Omadino and Ugborodo communities. It further argued that historical and legal claims over the area remain valid despite subsequent political or administrative developments.

The stakeholders also alleged that the current pipeline surveillance structure in the Niger Delta has concentrated excessive powers in the hands of contractors, creating opportunities for intimidation and abuse against host communities.

While expressing concern over what it described as the government’s silence, the committee urged both the Federal Government and the Delta State Government to take decisive action to prevent further escalation of tensions in the oil-rich region.

As part of its recommendations, the group called for the immediate restructuring of pipeline surveillance contracts, proposing that they should instead be awarded directly to host communities through registered Community Trusts under clearly defined Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs), with oversight from government agencies, host communities, and security institutions.

The committee argued that a community-based surveillance model would enhance accountability, improve the protection of critical oil and gas infrastructure, and promote sustainable peace across the Niger Delta.

The statement concluded by urging Itsekiri youths to remain peaceful and law-abiding while seeking justice through constitutional and legal means.

At the time of filing this report, Tantita Security Services and Chief Government Ekpemupolo (Tompolo) had not publicly responded to the specific allegations contained in the statement. Likewise, there was no immediate reaction from the Federal Government or the Delta State Government regarding the claims.

The allegations remain those of the Committee of Concerned Itsekiri Stakeholders and have not been independently verified by Tarakirivoice.