Crime
Niger Delta Region’s Ongoing Struggles And The Success Of TSSNL In Combating Oil Theft As Parties Urge Uninterrupted Pipeline Surveillance Contract
Niger Delta Region’s Ongoing Struggles And The Success Of TSSNL In Combating Oil Theft As Parties Urge Uninterrupted Pipeline Surveillance Contract....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
The Niger Delta region has been a recurrent topic in the media, frequently for negative reasons. Although the area’s oil contributes nearly 90 percent of Nigeria’s export value, it remains one of the country’s most underdeveloped regions, according to economic analysts.
Due to what experts describe as “perceived structural injustices,” agitation and conflicts have sprung up across the Niger Delta region. The youth in these areas are dissatisfied with the inadequate infrastructure development and feel marginalized in regional affairs. While the youth spearheaded these agitations, they lacked support from the elders who were dismayed by the region’s neglect, despite its significant contributions to the nation’s economic growth. The elders’ support was often implicit.
The Niger Delta region gained notoriety for its agitation for resource control and armed conflicts in the mid-1990s. To address these issues, former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration established the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in 2000. The creation of the Commission aimed to quell violence and promote socio-economic development in the area.
Exacerbated by poverty, political disenfranchisement, and the widespread availability of firearms, armed groups fought for control over illegally acquired oil, known as “bunkering,” and engaged in violent activities against oil companies.
To address these challenges, the Obasanjo administration also introduced the Niger Delta Peace and Security Strategy to complement the Niger Delta Master Plan, which outlined economic and social development plans for the region.
However, it was President Musa Yar’dua who, in 2009, established the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) for the youth and people of the Niger Delta. This program aimed to alleviate the concerns of the region’s growing population, particularly regarding material and human development and to curb armed conflicts.
Another reason for establishing the PAP by Yar’dua was the need to integrate the region’s people, whose wealth was crucial to Nigeria’s economy, into the nation’s political landscape and possibly put an end to years of alleged marginalization.
The program was comprehensive and endeared President Yar’dua to the Niger Delta’s indigenous population, who viewed him as someone genuinely concerned about their well-being. They believed that he recognized the necessity of appeasing their grievances to calm tensions. The program, in their view, was largely successful.
However, during this time, oil theft reached its peak as an illicit trade, and some individuals within the corridors of power were allegedly involved. The situation worsened when the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) emerged in 2016, wreaking havoc on the country’s oil infrastructure.
The Nigerian military, in collaboration with groups in the region, particularly the National Coalition of Niger Delta Ex-agitators (NCNDE-A), led by Eshanekpe Israel (also known as Akpodoro), restored peace to the region.
Oil theft persisted, largely due to an international network of criminals and local actors, including petroleum marketers who engaged in the theft of petroleum products.
The Group Executive Officer of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Nigeria Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, introduced the idea of involving private security firms in the surveillance and security of oil facilities, paving the way for a new approach in the upstream and downstream oil industry.
Tantita Security Service Nigeria Limited (TSSNL), established by Chief Government Ekpemukpolo (also known as Tompolo), took charge of the surveillance and security of oil facilities in the Western axis of the Nigerian Coastal region. The firm implemented a community-based approach, which was highly effective and contrasted with the alleged sabotage perpetrated by security agencies.
TSSNL significantly disrupted the operations of oil thieves in the region. However, these achievements have not been well received by those involved in oil theft, who aim to undermine the authority that awarded the surveillance security contract to Tompolo.
Oil thieves are unhappy with TSSNL, as it thwarts their illicit activities. Agents of oil theft have attempted to discredit and undermine Kyari’s stance against entitlement.
Recently, a group of young men under the banner of RNDA held a rally in Warri, threatening Kyari’s removal due to his no-nonsense approach. This group, which had previously taken up arms against the government in 2016, now seeks Kyari’s ousting, despite his efforts to rebuild what they had destroyed in the Niger Delta region.
It is crucial for the people of the Niger Delta not to allow self-serving groups to incite armed conflict against the government. Diplomacy and peaceful engagement should be the primary means of addressing their concerns, as is practiced in civilized nations.
No government should award security contracts to unpatriotic groups with a history of anarchy and economic sabotage. Integrity and credibility are essential in any national endeavor. Now is the time for introspection and for rebuilding values and character. Threats should not be used as a means to make demands from the government.
The government should consider renewing and expanding the TSSNL contract to cover additional coastal areas and engage more youths in productive activities to combat drug abuse. Chaos is detrimental to the development of any region or country. The RNDA should encourage its members to work for peace and stability in the Niger Delta. Everyone should focus on promoting peace and tranquility, and attempts to destabilize the national economy should be discouraged.
The Niger State Police Command has arrested a woman identified as Mariya Abdullahi over the alleged poisoning of her co-wife’s two children.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
The incident reportedly occurred on Friday, November 6, 2026, in Takuti community, Lapai Local Government Area of Niger State.
The victims, aged four and nine, were said to have consumed a substance suspected to be poisonous from a cup allegedly given to them by Abdullahi.
One of the children reportedly died shortly after drinking the substance, while the other was rushed to a general hospital, where she is currently receiving treatment.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, SP Wasiu Abiodun, confirmed the incident in a statement issued on Saturday.
According to Abiodun, the suspect allegedly confessed to the crime, claiming that a friend influenced her to poison the children because she could not have a child for her husband.
The police statement read: “On 6th November, 2026 at about 6am, a report was received in Lapai Div that one Mariya Abdullahi of Takuti via Lapai administered some substance suspected to be poison to the children of her co-wife.
“The Police operatives moved to the scene, discovered the two children who were 9 & 4yrs, were given the substance to drink, and as a result, they became unconscious.
“They were immediately rushed to a nearby clinic, but on arrival at the clinic, one of the victims gave up the ghost and the other was referred to the general hospital responding to the treatment.
“The suspect was arrested, undergoing further interrogation. She claimed that she was influenced by a friend to commit the act because she couldn’t bear a child for the husband.
“She will soon be transferred to SCID Minna for diligent prosecution.”
The command added that Abdullahi would be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Minna for further investigation and prosecution.
Two men standing trial over the abduction of 20 prospective members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Imo State have admitted that they voluntarily made the written and recorded confessional statements presented by the Department of State Services (DSS).....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
The defendants, Usman Aliyu and Babangida Aliyu, who are the first and second accused persons, made the admission on Thursday during cross-examination at the resumed hearing of the case.
Both men confirmed that they willingly gave the audio-visual statements and thumbprinted the written confessions in the presence of their lawyers.
The DSS had tendered the statements as evidence, and the court admitted them during the proceedings.
Despite confirming the statements, the defendants appealed to the court for forgiveness and asked to be released. They had earlier made a similar plea while opening their defence and giving evidence on their own behalf.
The two men are facing charges bordering on conspiracy, hostage-taking and unlawful possession of firearms over the alleged abduction.
Meanwhile, proceedings also continued in a separate case involving two defendants accused of conspiracy, kidnapping and unlawful possession of firearms.
During the hearing, a prosecution witness identified the defendants as the individuals who allegedly abducted him for ransom in Imo State on October 4, 2026.
At the end of Thursday’s proceedings, Justice Emeka Orafu adjourned both cases until November 6 for further hearing.
The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has arrested six individuals on its most-wanted fraudsters list following operations conducted across four continents.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
The suspects were apprehended over allegations involving various fraudulent activities, according to FBI Director Kash Patel, who announced the development in a post on X on Sunday.
Patel disclosed that the arrests, alongside other enforcement operations, contributed to the seizure of assets worth approximately $17 billion.
He praised the FBI’s international fugitive-tracking efforts and its ongoing campaign against global scam centres, known as Operation Blackout.
According to the FBI director, the six fugitives had collectively spent more than 4,000 days evading arrest.
Patel said the suspects had apparently believed that leaving the United States and going into hiding abroad would place them beyond the reach of American law enforcement authorities.
“They were wrong,” he wrote, stressing that the FBI and its international partners would continue pursuing individuals accused of defrauding Americans, regardless of where they attempted to hide.
In a separate update on Operation Blackout, Patel revealed that the broader campaign had resulted in the seizure of nearly $17 billion, the arrest of hundreds of suspected fraudsters and the rescue of thousands of trafficked workers.
The operation has also involved raids on suspected scam centres, the disruption of online infrastructure used to facilitate fraudulent activities and efforts to identify individuals trafficked into working for criminal networks.
Patel further disclosed that more than 10,000 Americans had received warnings before losing their money, helping to prevent estimated financial losses of about $670 million.
“We’re not just investigating these criminal enterprises.
“We’re dismantling their networks, disrupting their finances, rescuing victims, and holding those responsible accountable,” he said.
The FBI director described the scam centres as criminal enterprises that exploit vulnerable individuals while targeting Americans through international fraud schemes.
He maintained that the agency would continue its efforts to bring those responsible to justice.
“To every criminal organization targeting Americans: Justice will find you,” Patel added.
Full List Of The Six Arrested Suspects
According to the FBI, the individuals arrested are:
- Manjit Singh Bedi
- Elaine Agene Esco
- Khalid Ahmed Satary
- Herbert Leon Kimble
- Sahid Abdullahi Ereg
- Emylee Thai
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