…Suspects attacked Petroleum Minister, tried to infiltrate Tompolo’s Tantita
By Omeiza Ajayi
ABUJA – The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has announced the arrest of 17 suspects involved in renewed attacks on oil and gas installations in the Niger Delta region.
In a statement on Monday, NSCDC spokesperson Afolabi Babawale revealed that the Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad (CG’s SIS) apprehended the suspects after they allegedly attacked NSCDC operatives and personnel of Tantita Security Services—a private security firm contracted by the Federal Government for pipeline surveillance.
The attack resulted in the killing of Assistant Superintendent Umar Aliyu (Service No. 6363) and the theft of a speedboat belonging to Tantita Security Services.
Commandant A.S. Dandaura, head of the special intelligence squad, disclosed that the suspects, a high-profile syndicate of 17 sea pirates, were arrested on March 6, 2025, in a coordinated intelligence-driven operation at Tonogbene, Ekeremo Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
The arrested suspects include:
Ziakede Amatu
Aaron Ekogbene
Abilene Adeseotu
Toukekenme Emmanuel Police
Ken David Timiprey
Ekogbene Isaac Pius
Guy Tigan Victor
Timothy Ebibakote
Odebor Abade Joseph
Zikena Kingsley
Kelly Babylon
Dide Tuboukebuleye
ThankGod Ezu
Godwin Aseyapwayei
Timis Tokoni
Recovered exhibits include:
One AK-47 rifle
Two empty AK-47 magazines
Charms
15 Tantita Security uniforms
15 Tantita Security T-shirts
15 black boots
Dandaura recounted an earlier attack on January 21, 2025, when suspected vandals and sea pirates launched an assault on a joint task force comprising NSCDC operatives and Tantita Security personnel at their base in Torugbene II, Ekeremo LGA, Bayelsa State.
Armed with sophisticated weapons, the attackers fired indiscriminately at officers and civilians, killing ASC Umar Aliyu and stealing his AK-47 rifle. Tantita Security operative Ebikame Seimeneyefa was shot, while the security firm’s speedboat was hijacked.
Following relentless operations with support from sister security agencies, authorities tracked and arrested the 17-man gang led by Ziakede Amatu, a notorious vandal, kidnapper, and armed robber from Norgbene community in Ekeremo, Bayelsa State.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the syndicate had previously launched an attack on the Minister of State for Petroleum, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, at his residence on January 1, 2025.
According to Amatu, he was involved in illegal petroleum refining in Abonema, Rivers State, in 2023 under a notorious figure known only as Emergency, who later disappeared, leaving behind seven AK-47 rifles hidden in the forest. Amatu later moved to Bayelsa State, where community elders advised him to retrieve the rifles for “community protection.”
Investigations further revealed that Amatu had unsuccessfully attempted to join Tantita Security Services. Frustrated by his rejection, he procured Tantita uniforms to disguise his group as security operatives while carrying out attacks on oil installations.
The suspects allegedly sought to undermine Tantita Security’s operations and blackmail its chairman, Ekpemupolo Owiezide Government (alias Tompolo), after failing to secure surveillance contract sublets. Their actions escalated into the attack on NSCDC and Tantita operatives, which resulted in the killing of the late officer.
The post NSCDC, Tantita foil pipeline attacks, arrest 17 pirates and vandals appeared first on Vanguard News.
