Northern Youth Group Urges Tinubu to Extend Tantita Security Operations to Northern Nigeria
Says Community-Based Security Model Can Help Tackle Banditry, Insurgency, Kidnapping
By Our Correspondent
The Northern Youth Progressive Network (NYPN) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to expand the operational mandate of tantita.com� to Northern Nigeria, describing the company's community-driven security strategy as a proven solution capable of addressing the region's worsening security challenges.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday and signed by its Chairman, Comrade Sunday Lawee, the group commended Tantita Security Services for its role in combating crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism in the Niger Delta, noting that the intervention had significantly improved oil production and restored confidence in the nation's petroleum sector.
According to the group, crude oil theft once posed a serious threat to Nigeria's economy, resulting in huge financial losses and forcing several international oil companies to scale down or exit operations.
“Before Tantita, our oil pipelines were ATMs for criminals. Crude theft was a national embarrassment.
Then came Tantita. In just months, the story changed. Oil theft crashed. Production soared. The creeks went from war zones to work zones,” the statement noted.
The NYPN attributed the company's success to its effective combination of intelligence gathering, modern surveillance technology, local participation, and strong engagement with host communities.
It summarized the firm's operational philosophy as: Trust the locals, empower the youths, partner with traditional institutions, and deliver measurable results.
The group also cited a statement credited to the Managing Director of Tantita Security Services, who said: “We don't protect the asset against the people; we protect the asset with the people.”
Urging President Tinubu to replicate the model in Northern Nigeria, the group lamented the devastating effects of banditry, insurgency, kidnapping, and rural insecurity on agriculture, education, and commerce across the region.
“Mr. President, we respectfully but firmly urge you to expand Tantita’s mandate to Northern Nigeria. The North is bleeding. Bandits tax our farmers before they harvest. Insurgents bomb schools. Kidnappers abduct innocent citizens, while major highways have become dangerous corridors,” Lawee stated.
The youth group argued that if Tantita could successfully secure thousands of kilometres of oil pipelines in the difficult terrain of the Niger Delta, the company could also contribute meaningfully to safeguarding forests, farmlands, and rural communities in the North through strategic collaboration with traditional rulers, hunters, vigilante groups, and conventional security agencies.
NYPN clarified that its proposal was not intended to replace existing security institutions but rather to strengthen ongoing efforts through partnership and coordination.
“We are not asking for the disbandment of the Army, Police, or DSS. We are advocating strategic reinforcement.
The same way Tantita supports the Navy and NSCDC in the South, it can complement the efforts of the Army, Police, and DSS in the North. What we need is collaboration, not competition; results, not rhetoric,” the statement added.
The group further commended the leadership of NNPC Limited, the Office of the National Security Adviser, and the Defence Headquarters for their support of Tantita's operations in the Niger Delta.
It maintained that Nigeria should not operate under “two standards of security,” stressing that extending Tantita's operations to the North would demonstrate the Federal Government's commitment to rewarding competence and adopting home-grown solutions to national challenges.
“History is watching. Expanding Tantita to the North will show that this administration rewards competence, believes in Nigerian capacity, and remains committed to ensuring that no region is left behind in the pursuit of peace and security,” the statement concluded.
