By Goodness Toritseju Mene
April 14, 2025 | Delta State – The Odokun Youth Council (OYC) has issued a strongly worded statement rejecting recent allegations made against Hon. Evangelist Michael Diden, popularly known as Ejele, by the Gbaramatu Youth Council (GYC), while calling on the Federal Government to take urgent action against what it describes as rising ethnic tension and alleged human rights violations in Delta State.
In a press release signed and made public on April 14, 2025, the OYC described the claims by the GYC as “spurious and libelous,” asserting that Diden’s recent public criticisms of Tantita Security Services were being misrepresented as ethnic provocation.
Michael Diden, a former Chairman of Warri North Local Government, ex-Delta State lawmaker, and 2023 PDP senatorial candidate, recently released a video expressing concerns over the alleged operations of Tantita Security Services Ltd—a private security firm contracted by the Federal Government to safeguard oil pipelines.
According to Diden, the company has allegedly become a tool for ethnic oppression, targeting the Itsekiri people under the guise of security operations. He accused Tantita operatives of harassment, unlawful detention, and other abuses in communities predominantly inhabited by the Itsekiri, claiming their conduct lacks professionalism and violates the rights of innocent citizens.
“Evangelist Diden never called for violence but urged resistance to what he described as unlawful actions against his people,” the OYC emphasized in its statement. The group further questioned why a youth body allegedly affiliated with Government Ekpemupolo, also known as Tompolo, responded to the allegations instead of the company itself.
Highlighting historical tensions, the OYC claimed the Itsekiri people have no known history of pipeline vandalism or oil theft and referenced past allegations, including a 2016 Nation Newspaper interview in which former militant leader Michael Johnny accused Tompolo of sponsoring pipeline bombings.
The council also criticized the response from the GYC as emotionally driven and disconnected from the real grievances of the Itsekiri people. “Rather than address the concerns raised, they resorted to ethnic sentiments,” the statement noted.
Going further, the OYC alleged that illicit oil trade is still ongoing in the region and called for a federal investigation into the financial dealings and operations of Tantita Security Services, which they claim could be enabling large-scale crude oil theft.
The youth group ended its statement by urging the Federal Government to revoke Tantita’s license, arrest Tompolo and his associates, and investigate the firm’s activities for potential violations of both civil rights and national economic interests.
The press release signals escalating tensions in parts of Delta State, particularly between Itsekiri and Ijaw communities, as calls mount for transparency and accountability in the operations of private security contractors operating in the Niger Delta region.