The news of the renewal of the pipeline protection contract awarded to Tantita Security Services Limited (TSSL) for another three years was all over the media on Monday, October 16, 2023.
Tantita Security Limited’s courageous efforts to stop the senseless theft of the country’s oil riches were further rewarded by the president’s choice to disregard a campaign of defamation organized by a group of self-serving individuals.
I have been an advocate of local content, and this is why I must commend Kyari’s decision to engage local security outfits to confront the hydra-headed existential economic challenge facing the country. This was a masterstroke, as shown by the incontrovertible exploits of Tantita Security Services Limited.
The effect of pipeline vandalism, among other pipeline disasters, has been drastic on the Nigerian economy.
The frequency of tragic pipeline incidents in Nigeria has drawn attention from around the world. This negative impact on people and the environment, which includes ongoing human and animal deaths, pollution of the water and air, soil contamination, eradication of the ecosystem, destruction of property and infrastructure, and loss of crude oil and refined products, is what has garnered this attention on a global scale.
Pipelines serve like veins, helping to provide life necessities like natural gas or water and to remove life wastes like sewage. Additionally, they are thought of as the most favourable way to transport large amounts of gas or fluid.
Nigeria’s vast oil output and oil potential have resulted in oil vandalism, militancy, inadvertent spills related to oil transportation, ecological harm, and more. Under these circumstances, there is a greater chance that a tragedy will occur if appropriate steps are not taken to reduce the risks associated with the oil crisis.
Significant problems could result from this, especially in the areas where oil is produced. As the significance of petroleum resources as a substantial source of economic advantages became increasingly obvious, the resource regions became more susceptible to a series of military attacks and regional pressure.
Oil-related issues are particularly common in Nigeria’s Niger Delta or South-South region, which is where the majority of the country’s main reserves are located.
The extraction, processing, and transportation of petroleum have resulted in ecosystem disturbance, environmental harm, and mortality in several developing countries.
Oil-related problems, such as oil spills, crude oil theft, illegal refining of crude oil, accidents involving oil trucks, pipeline vandalism, and explosions, were exacerbated by the government’s inability to control the practices surrounding petroleum management.
A pipeline transport system is the transportation of gases, liquids, or semi-liquids, such as crude oil, through a tunnel or tube from one part of the country to the other.
A pipeline is a highly specialised mode of transport that also cuts across all essentials of a transport system in terms of the physical structure, the direction, and, of course, the point of delivery. The network of this pipeline transport system has been cut across all parts of the country and territory so that it can be used to transport crude oil from the point of refinery to the point of use, either as raw material or to be exported to other countries.
Pipelines, because of the precious natural resources they transport, are buried about 1–1.5 metres below the ground so as to avoid contact with easy damage or some of the other purposes the land might be meant for.
Due to the fact that the pipeline system is properly covered and managed underground, there are human pests reasons to vandalise the pipelines for the proliferation of natural resources. Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited’s (NNPC) pipeline network system made provision for networks of pipelines that are connected to 21 white product depots and tanks across the nation.
Most of the pipeline transport systems arise as a result of a project name, such as Trans-Nigeria Pipeline, Offshore Gas Gathering System (OGGS), Escravos-Lagos Pipeline System (ELP), and many more. By the day, many pipelines have been produced to ensure a steady supply of crude oil to all desired destinations in the country.
The total length of pipelines in Nigeria is approximately 5001 kilometres. This includes 666 kilometres of crude oil pipelines and 4,315 kilometres of pipelines carrying multiple products. These pipelines traverse the country, connecting the 22 petroleum storage facilities, the four petroleum refining plants (in Port Harcourt Ⅰ and Ⅱ, Kaduna, and Warri), the off-shore terminals (in Bonny and Escravos), and the jetties (in Atlas Cove, Calabar, Okirika, and Warri).
This network of oil pipelines, stretching over a total of 719 kilometres, is used to transport crude petroleum to refineries at Port-Harcourt (Ⅰ and Ⅱ), Warri, and Kaduna. Refined products are transported from refineries and import receiving jetties to oil storage depots across the country via multi-product pipelines.
Pipeline accidents have caused large losses to Nigeria in terms of economic, ecological, and human lives. A single incident can have devastating consequences for the environment, individual communities, and local economies.
A report stated that the first incident of a pipeline rupture in Nigeria occurred in Warri Delta State between July 11 and 17, 2000. This incident occurred in a village called Adeje, and it claimed a lot more lives than the incident that occurred in the community of Jesse people in Delta State, which claimed over 1,000 lives.
It was also reported that another explosion occurred in July 2000 near the villages of Oviri and Adeje, resulting in the deaths of about 250 people. It’s amusing to state that the majority of these cases were the result of unscrupulous individuals attempting to part with petroleum products.
Also, vandals intending to hold the government to ransom cause these ruptures. Pipeline ruptures lead to the release of toxic materials into the soil of the affected environment and also affect the quality of drinking water.
The region of the Niger Delta appears to be the region in Nigeria that has witnessed the highest number of oil disasters and production activities.
The vulnerability of the oil pipeline to incessant attacks may be a result of the networking style of the pipeline.
Cases of pipeline disasters have been reported to mostly occur as a result of deliberate damages, poor maintenance and overuse of pipes, subjecting them to corrosion, and inadequate surveillance, giving room for vandals to perpetrate evil.
In 2022, it was reported that Nigeria suffered a daily loss of approximately 437,000 barrels of crude oil, amounting to a value of 23 million dollars, due to criminal activities as a result of pipeline sabotage.
In 2022, the Federal Government engaged Tantita Security Services Limited, a private security firm owned by Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, in a N4.5 billion monthly deal to protect oil pipelines across the Niger Delta region.
Since its engagement, Tantita Security Services Limited has taken down thousands of illegal refineries in the last three years. The company has disconnected up to 295 illegal connections to NNPC Limited pipelines, and many of them have been there for years.
Tantita Security Services Limited is committed to creating a safer environment for the oil and gas sector, and we look forward to partnering with you to achieve this vision.
Tantita Security Services Limited is a pioneering indigenous security company headquartered in Warri, Delta State, the heart of the Niger Delta Region in Nigeria.
Established with a commitment to safeguarding critical assets, we specialise in providing comprehensive security solutions tailored to the unique needs of the oil and gas sector. With a rich legacy of excellence, Tantita Security Services Limited has become a trusted partner for clients seeking unparalleled security expertise in the oil and gas sector.
Its vision is to be the preferred security partner in the oil and gas industry in the Niger Delta and beyond. We are recognised for our innovative approaches, exceptional competence, and unwavering commitment to safeguarding our clients’ interests. We envision a future where security concerns do not hinder economic progress and businesses thrive with the confidence and certainty that Tantita Security Services Limited provides, while its mission is to set the gold standard in security services within the oil and gas sector. We are dedicated to preserving the safety of our clients’ assets, personnel, and operations by delivering cutting-edge security solutions. Through unwavering professionalism, strategic insight, and a relentless pursuit of excellence, we aim to fortify our clients’ confidence in the face of evolving security challenges.
Tantita Security Services Limited’s achievements in securitizing the nation’s petroleum sector have led to the nation’s economic substance.
Its achievements are so exemplary that even those who earlier criticised the Federal Government’s award of contracts to non-state actors have suddenly seen not only the light but the wisdom behind the decision.
They have seen the changes and witnessed the progress made by Tantita Security Services Limited.
Tantita has brought a drastic reduction in crude oil theft in the country, created youth employment, and ended the activities of the illegal crude oil refiners in the entire Niger Delta region.
Presently, all the crude oil pipelines in Delta, Bayelsa, and some parts of Rivers states, which were usually invaded at will by crude oil thieves, are now adequately secured, thanks to Tantita’s well-coordinated security personnel.
Also heartening is the awareness that, as part of efforts to increase its efficiency and quality delivery, Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited (TSSNL) has developed a culture of periodic staff training and re-training.
A typical example of such effort is the recent 12-day operational training for staff facilitated by the best brains in the security sector from within and outside the country at the company’s well-fitted training ground located in Oporoza, the ancestral headquarters of the Gbaramatu kingdom in Warri, South West Local Government Area of Delta State, in the past years.
The programme was fashioned to enhance staff understanding of operational processes and procedures, develop skills required for efficient execution of operational tasks, promote teamwork and alliance among the staff, and ensure compliance with regulations and standards that will foster overall improvement, operational performance, and accomplishment.
Tantita continually upgrades its security architecture and incorporates new know-how, especially information technology. This is a sincere reason why the contract needs to be sustained by the present federal government.
Finally, another reason why Tantita as an organisation deserves praise is that there is glaring evidence that with each passing day, the duo becomes more proactive, intentional, optimistic, persistent, and invests more energy in the success of the project.
Finally, I believe that the reward for good work is more work. Therefore, the contract renewal is timely, as President Tinubu has shown determination to strengthen the fight against the oil thieves who have held down the country’s economy for years.
Adewole Kehinde is the publisher of Swift Reporters
