The management of Tantita Security Services Nigerian Limited, a federal government-contracted oil pipeline surveillance firm, has accused the Nigerian Navy of protecting some suspected oil thieves being pursued by its personnel.
In a press release credited to the commander, NNS BEECROFT, Commodore Kolawole Oguntuga, it was noted that the Navy arrested four Tantita personnel for alleged crude oil theft.
According to the Navy, its personnel stationed at Forward Operation Base (FOB) crippled the attempted oil theft operation in the waterways near the Itolu community in Lekki, Lagos State last Tuesday.
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Tantita management refuted the statement by the Nigerian Navy, claiming that four of its security firm’s personnel were involved in crude oil theft, calling the allegations a “smear campaign” and possibly a cover-up.
The statement reads, “The Navy has been sharing pictures of the Tantita staff in their custody in various shades of undress but kept silent about the names of the boat crew whom they were chasing. In short, where is the crew that the Tantita personnel chased in Ibeju Lekki?” Tantita asked.
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It noted that “As soon as these men were arrested, the management of Tantita reached out to the Nigerian Navy seeking clarification of the situation. For four days, the Navy said they were investigating and that the men would be released.”
The firm claims to have already received the outcome of the Navy’s investigation into the incident, saying, “There is even more damning evidence, which, out of courtesy to the Navy hierarchy and the needs of national security, we will not divulge on the pages of a newspaper.”
The branch of the Nigerian armed forces said local youths had reported the gunshots in the vicinity of the community, prompting naval patrol teams to immediately launch a response operation. This evidently led to the arrest of Tantita employees who were paraded by the NNS BEECROFT of the Navy.
However, Tantita argued that its men were in pursuit of a motorized wooden boat that was “illegally” loading crude oil from an offshore oil well jacket.
