Odokun Youths Call for Probe into Tantita’s Role in Rising Ethnic Tensions

The Odokun Youth Council has strongly condemned as misleading and ethnically motivated a recent press release issued by the Gbaramatu Youth Council, issued in response to a video by Hon. Michael Diden.

In the video, Diden otherwise known simply as Ejele, a prominent Delta leader, had called on Itsekiri communities to defend themselves against the alleged misuse of Tantita Security Services operations.

Tantita, a security company contracted by the federal government to protect the nation’s oil pipeline infrastructure, is accused of being used as a tool for ethnic oppression by Gbaramatu people.

Diden accused Tantita operatives, who are allegedly under the influence of Gbaramatu Ijaw, of using Gestapo-style tactics to intimidate and maltreat neighboring Itsekiri communities. He urged affected Itsekiri communities to stand together to resist these actions and protect their rights against further ethnic persecution.

The Odokun group stated that their response was to the false narrative spread by the Gbaramatu Youth Council, which they believe is aimed at dividing the people and distorting the truth.

The council stated that the Warri people have long been vulnerable to exploitation and harassment, particularly when such operations are misused by external forces for ethnic domination. The council stated that Gbaramatu Ijaws have co-opted Tantita’s security mandate and are using it as a cover for their own political and ethnic objectives, putting Itsekiri communities at great risk.

“The misuse of Tantita’s operations is a direct threat to the peaceful coexistence of our communities. What was meant to be a security measure to protect national oil infrastructure is now being weaponized for ethnic aggression against the Itsekiri people,” the council said in their release.

The council further rejected suggestion that Itsekiri ethnic group were involved in oil theft or pipeline vandalism, pointing out that such claims are unfounded and misleading. They stressed that the Itsekiris have no history of such criminal activities, and any attempt to associate them with it is part of a larger narrative to justify the harassment and mistreatment they are currently facing.

The Odokun Youth Council further reminded the public of previous allegations against Tompolo, the leader of Gbaramatu Ijaw, who was accused of involvement in pipeline bombings and illegal bunkering. The council referred to statements from 2016, where Michael Johnny, a chieftain of the All-Progressives Congress, (APC) accused Tompolo of orchestrating attacks on pipelines for personal gain.

“The Itsekiri people have always been victims of this violence. We are not perpetrators of the problems affecting this region,” the Odokun Youth Council said.

The group called for immediate investigations into Tantita’s operations and urged the federal government to revoke the contract due to the abuses it claims have occurred under Tantita’s watch.

Also, the statement also noted the ongoing issue of ward delineation and how it was fraudulently manipulated to undermine Warri political interests in favor of the Gbaramatu Ijaws. The council believes this issue is central to the growing tensions in the region, with the Itsekiri ethic group refusing to accept the fraudulent proposal put forward by INEC that would have seen the people of Warri sidelined in the political structure.

The Odokun Youth Council called for strong federal action to protect the Itsekiri people from further abuse and exploitation. The group urged the federal government to investigate Tantita’s operations, revise the security contract, and ensure the prosecution of Tompolo and his associates for their alleged criminal activities.

“The time to act is now. We will not stand by while our people are oppressed and our interests are compromised,”.