Opuama Kingdom: Communities Accuse Tantita Operatives of inhuman Treatment On Indigenes.

 

Some Communities in Opuama Kingdom of Southern Ijaw Local Government Council of Bayelsa state have accused members  Tantitta Security   Company of invading and inflicting their indigenes with various injuries.

This was as they alleged that seven Opuama indigenes  were with various machete injuries under the alleged guise of searching for suspected oil thieves.

Speaking  to journalists on Sunday in Yenagoa,  Omatebe Foster Kurotimi, the territorial Youth President of the Opuama Kingdom,  and Opumie Collins Trueman, Technical Assistant to the Bayelsa Governor on General Matters, described the  alleged attack on the defenceless people of the kingdom as condemnable, barbaric and gross misconduct on the part of the security pipeline surveillance company.

They alleged that a particular youth, who was loading sand in his boat at the waterside and waved down the speed boat of the Tantita operatives to slow down and not provoke his sand filled canoe to capsize, was dragged to the waterside and flogged with horse whips and machete alleging that others  were dragged from their homes and injured in the struggle.

Kurotimi,  revealed  that a formal protest has been filed with the State Headquarters of the DSS and  Zone 16 Command of the Nigerian Police stating that  the wickes act by Tantita security operatives was a provocative act that could lead to break down of law and order regretting that despite the fact that Opuama Youths are law-abiding and peaceful, the invasion of the communities by Tantita operatives was threatening peace in the area.

 He stated" We are law abiding and in as much as we want peace, Tantita should adopt professionalism while searching for oil thieves. They just invaded  the communities are started chasing people and beating them with dangerous weapons."

"I have notified the traditional leaders and the security agencies. Tantita should exercise caution and adopt professionalism. To Tantita, Opuama's case is always different. They rounded up indigenes from fishing settlement, took them to their house boat and started flogging them. It is unprofessional. "

"While we are ready to work with the Federal Government, security agencies and Tantita to tackle cases of oil theft,  Tantita should not continue to oppress our youths to avoid bloody confrontation."

In his position, the Technical Assistant to the Bayelsa Governor on General Duties, Opumie Collins Trueman expressed disappointment over the action of Tantita operatives and called on the Federal, bState and security agencies to investigate the incident to avoid possible confrontation between angry Opuama Youths with the Tantita security operatives.

Trueman also denied an alleged involvement of Opuama youths in illegal oil bunkering stating  that the era of militancy and vices are over and the youths have become gainfully engaged.

Trueman called on  Governor Douye Diri to intervene and stop the Tantita operatives from provoking bloody confrontation between the Opuama Youths and Tantita security.

 He said: "On wednesday, I was called that Tantita security has invaded the community. Old women and youths were crying that they are passing through harrowing treatment in the hands of Tantita operatives."

"I also want to caution and call on the NSA, the Federal and State Governments, the Chief of Defence Staff to call these Tantita operatives to order. These Tantita operatives should be professional. And even the Security operatives working with them should be more professional."

"I have however called on my people to remain calm and expect intervention from the relevant authorities."

Attempts to  get reaction from Tantita Security Company proved abortive  as officials were not available for comment, but  a close source to the company denied knowledge of the allege operation claiming that Tantita is not the only  surveillance company operating in the vicinity.

He spoke  on phone  saying "Tantitta is not the only surveillance company that operates in that area. There are other surveillance groups. Let them not conclude that it was Tantitta that did it. Many  groups are just answering Tantitta in the river. Our camp is not even in that community.

Recall that Opuama kingdom is made up of 14 autonomous communities and 48 fishing settlements in  and a  host  to some  multimillion dollars oil assets operated by SPDC, NAOC and Chevron.