By Admin 
The Odokun Youth Council, a pro-Itsekiri organization, has called on the Federal Government to revoke the license of Tantita Security Services Limited. The group accused the firm—linked to High Chief Government Ekpemupolo (also known as Tompolo)—of crude oil theft and illegal exportation of crude to countries like Cyprus and Malta.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, April 14, in Warri, Delta State, the group’s spokesperson, Mele Ofeoritse Conget, alleged that Tantita personnel had unlawfully detained several Itsekiri youths from the Tisun, Kolokolo, and Usor communities for three months in what he described as a “private prison.”
Conget also claimed that on April 4, 2025, Tantita operatives invaded the Ajigbodudu Community—an area with no known pipeline infrastructure—and accused the company of overlooking illegal bunkering allegedly carried out in nearby Opia settlement, predominantly occupied by Ijaw people.
He referenced earlier statements by Hon. Michael Diden, who accused Tantita of being used by the Gbaramatu Ijaw community to target and oppress the Itsekiri. According to Diden, “TANTITA has gradually become a tool used by the Gbaramatu Ijaws to fight a war against the helpless Itsekiri people. It is waging an ethnic war, engaging in torture, and operating a private detention facility where innocent Itsekiri individuals are held and used as slaves.”
Also addressing reporters, the President of the Itsekiri National Development Initiative (INDI), Comrade Dennis Abugewa Mene, criticized calls for the arrest of Hon. Diden, describing it as a distraction from alleged electoral fraud committed by INEC in collaboration with unnamed individuals.
He condemned what he described as a fraudulent ward delineation exercise, saying: “The fact that INEC had the audacity, along with certain elements, to disenfranchise the Itsekiri Nation is unacceptable. We reject the entire exercise. The fieldwork conducted should be implemented transparently, not manipulated.”
Mene further contested claims that Ijaw communities have legitimate wards in Warri South, asserting that most of the disputed areas—including the Delta Boatyard—belong to the Itsekiri people. He called for an immediate review of the ward delineation within the Warri Federal Constituency, alleging that over the years, many Itsekiri community names have been changed by Ijaw groups.