By BLESSING AGWE ODUGO

Bayelsa Groups Credit Tantita With Reducing Street Crime, Oil Theft, Youth Violence

Youth Groups Link Improved Security to Employment, Pipeline Surveillance

A coalition of Niger Delta youth stakeholders, alongside women’s groups and civil society organisations in Bayelsa State, has commended Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited for what they described as a significant contribution to reducing street violence, oil theft, cultism and other forms of criminality across the state.

The groups said the company’s engagement of young people in pipeline surveillance had provided alternative sources of livelihood for thousands of youths who might otherwise have been exposed to illegal bunkering, crude oil theft, cultism and related criminal activities.

Their assessment emerged from separate interviews with representatives of the Coalition of Niger Delta Youth Stakeholders, the Ijaw Women Deserves Better Initiative, Grassroots Movement Connect (GMC) and youth leaders in the state.

From Oil Theft to Pipeline Surveillance

The Coalition of Niger Delta Youth Stakeholders, represented by its spokesman, Odede Charles Precious, said the security situation in several communities had improved considerably since Tantita became involved in pipeline surveillance.

According to the coalition, Bayelsa previously faced persistent challenges associated with crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism, illegal refining, cult clashes and other violent activities.

The group argued that the absence of legitimate economic opportunities had contributed to the vulnerability of some young people, particularly in oil-producing communities where illegal activities had become a source of livelihood for sections of the population.

It maintained that the recruitment of youths into legitimate surveillance operations had helped redirect some of this manpower away from criminal networks and towards protecting critical oil infrastructure.

Women’s Group Highlights Livelihood Impact

The Coordinator of the Ijaw Women Deserves Better Initiative, Bomiegha Rachael Lagos, described Tantita’s intervention as a major change for families affected by youth unemployment and insecurity.

She said many young people previously had limited economic opportunities and were consequently vulnerable to involvement in illegal bunkering, cultism and other criminal activities.

According to her, the availability of legitimate employment has provided an alternative for some of the affected youths while contributing to improved security in their communities.

Her assessment, however, also pointed to the need for broader interventions capable of reaching women and other vulnerable groups who may not benefit directly from surveillance employment.

Amnesty Programme Left Some Youths Behind

Gen. Okiemo Stephen, Zonal Head and Leader of Camp Seven, argued that Tantita had helped address a gap created by the limited reach of the Presidential Amnesty Programme.

He noted that although thousands of former Niger Delta agitators benefited from the programme, some former combatants and other youths were left without sustainable livelihoods.

According to him, some of those excluded from formal reintegration subsequently turned to illegal bunkering, kidnapping, cultism and other criminal activities.

He said the engagement of some of these youths in pipeline surveillance had provided an alternative livelihood while reducing the pool of young people available to criminal networks.

Communities Report Fewer Environmental & Maritime Crimes

Grassroots Movement Connect, led by Hon. Afen Enason Patrick, said its assessment of communities across Bayelsa indicated improvements in several areas since the commencement of Tantita’s operations.

The organisation cited reported reductions in crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism and illegal artisanal refining, alongside what it described as a decline in soot-related environmental pollution.

The group also linked youth engagement to improvements in the security of waterways, arguing that some young people had moved away from piracy, sea robbery, cultism and illegal bunkering.

For communities that have long struggled with the interconnected problems of unemployment, environmental degradation and insecurity, the groups said the development represented a significant shift.

Groups Call for Broader Empowerment

Despite their commendation, the organisations stressed that surveillance employment alone could not provide a permanent solution to youth unemployment and insecurity in the Niger Delta.

They urged Tantita to expand its intervention into skills acquisition, technical education, entrepreneurship development and scholarship programmes.

The Ijaw Women Deserves Better Initiative specifically called for greater investment in women, including single mothers, female undergraduates and other vulnerable women.

The group argued that vocational training and entrepreneurship support could improve household incomes while reducing the economic pressures that make vulnerable populations susceptible to criminal exploitation.

Calls for Stronger Community Engagement

Gen. Okiemo also urged Tantita’s management to strengthen communication between its headquarters and field personnel.

He said regular engagement with surveillance teams would enable management to obtain firsthand information about operational challenges and incorporate field-level realities into policy decisions.

Grassroots Movement Connect, meanwhile, called for stronger collaboration among the company, traditional rulers, youth leaders and community development committees.

It also recommended increased public enlightenment on the consequences of crude oil theft, greater support for environmental remediation and improved access to clean water in communities affected by oil pollution.

Security Gains Must Be Sustained

The commendations from the various organisations reflect a broader argument about the relationship between security and economic opportunity in the Niger Delta: where young people have access to legitimate livelihoods, the incentive to participate in illicit activities may decline.

However, sustaining such gains would require more than employment in pipeline surveillance. The groups said continued investment in education, skills development, women’s empowerment, environmental restoration and community participation would be necessary to consolidate the reported improvements.

For Bayelsa, where oil-related criminality and youth unemployment have historically intersected, the organisations maintained that a combination of security intervention and economic inclusion could provide a more durable foundation for peace.

They therefore urged Tantita and other stakeholders in the Niger Delta to build on the reported gains and broaden the benefits of youth engagement beyond surveillance operations.

While the groups were unanimous in their commendation of Tantita, their recommendations also underscored a central challenge: converting short-term security gains into sustainable economic and social stability across the oil-producing communities.