Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited purportedly revealed on Monday that oil corporations buy refined automotive gas oil, also known as diesel, from clandestine refineries in numerous host communities around the Niger Delta region.
This was disclosed by Tantita in Abuja during the ongoing Nigeria Oil and Gas Energy Week Conference, which is attended by both international and indigenous oil and gas businesses.
The oil companies that were present at the event did not deny it.
Tantita is a security firm based in Warri, Delta State, that specializes in the oil and gas sector and provides security solutions specifically built for oil and gas assets. The organization
now provides security services to Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.
Speaking as a panellist at the session titled, “Exploring Nigerian Content Solutions to Meet Energy Demand,” the Executive Director, Operations and Technical, Tantita Security Services, Capt. Warredi Enisuoh stated that illegal refineries generate diesel in enormous quantities, and their customers include numerous downstream firms.
He said that the illegal refineries receive patronage not just from smugglers but also from oil firms, and that Tantita and other security services’ raids on these refineries were to blame for the rise in diesel prices.
“Why is there no scarcity of diesel while there is scarcity of PMS (Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol)? The story is simple, most of the diesel you buy is produced by the communities.
He said “About 90 per cent of the diesel in the fuel stations is produced by the communities. It will also interest you to know that even the oil companies patronise the local communities. Don’t let anybody deceive you, they (oil companies) also patronise the local communities.”
Enisuoh noted that in order to offer Nigerian content solutions to meet energy demand in terms of infrastructure, “we might need to focus more on the local communities.”
He insisted that unless security services like his firm intervened, illegal diesel manufacture would continue.
“The reason why the price of diesel is high today is because of the works of private security companies like my company Tantita Security Services.
“This is because we have been able to somehow cut down on a lot of the businesses of the illegal refineries. This is why you see the cost of diesel going up,” he stated.
Recall, n April 10, 2024, the NNPC announced that a tugboat carrying suspected illegally refined diesel had been impounded by Tantita Security Services Limited officers.
NNPCL reported that the tugboat was being accompanied by a maritime police boat in Rivers State before being apprehended by the security outfit, and that Tantita was now interrogating five people on the boat.
“On Monday, April 1, 2024, the Tantita Security Services team on patrol pursued and arrested a tugboat – Aya Oba Olori II, which was being escorted by a marine police boat in Rivers State.
“The tugboat was laden with an unspecified quantity of suspected illegally refined AGO which was loaded from a barge at Onne dock on March 31. Five persons onboard the tugboat were arrested by Tantita team and are undergoing interrogation,” NNPC had stated.
