How Valentine’s Day Journey Unmasked Tantita’s ‘Cruelty’ In Delta Creeks

By Ebenezer Adurokiya

The tranquillity and placidity of the once turbulent creeks along Warri rivers—stretching to Escravos, Ugborodo, and across Gbaramatu Kingdom, as well as the Ilaje enclaves all in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State—is unsettling. How, on earth, can this ‘wickedness’ persist at a time when hardship pervades the land?

This writer was on a four-hour speedboat trip to and from Ogidigben on Valentine’s Day—yes, the day marked for celebrating love (and its variations), with red and white adorning attires, event centres, and even churches in anticipation of the festivity.

Though a student of romanticism, I am hardly romantic. The mediaeval poets, such as William Wordsworth and John Keats, romanticised nature—not the erotic curves that Gen Zs now idolise. But what sensual adventure could possibly ease the anguish of a man recently robbed of his heartthrob at her prime?

It did not dawn on me until my journey back at about 5:00 p.m., having, as it were, escaped the rampaging ocean surge through the back corridors of Ogidigben. Locals claim that the ocean’s fierce waves at that ungodly hour are its way of reasserting itself as the ever-watchful spirit. Do you recall how the sea once roared against its very Creator, who lay asleep in the lower deck, even as His disciples trembled in fear?

The narrow paths leading to the Escravos River once shimmered with the silver sheen of oil slicks from illegal artisanal refineries. Boys—sometimes accompanied by women of easy virtue—would siphon crude oil, “cook” it recklessly, extract AGO (diesel), and sometimes kerosene, while others ferried the products in plastic cans to Warri and beyond. The so-called “waste” sips into the soil or finds its way to the waters! This tragic tradition, which claimed countless human and aquatic lives, has now given way to a new dawn – a striking paradigm shift!

The ambience, as we sailed homewards, was striking—a calm creek surrounded by lush mangrove vegetation. Unlike in past years, the water appeared relatively clear, reflecting the sky and surrounding greenery with gentle ripples. The dense mangrove forest stretched along the banks, with fallen branches and dried vegetation—remnants of past environmental destruction—scattered in the background. These testimonials must gladden the heart of uniform men like Lt. Col. Ifeanyi Otu (now Brigadier General), the then Commanding Officer at the 3rd Battalion, Nigerian Army, Effurun, and others with whom, armed with gunboats, we traversed, dismantled illegal artisanal refineries and arrested a good number of saboteurs.

Yet, on our way back, I beheld the resurgence of fresh vegetation. Wild birds that had strayed into the deep woods, had returned, their melodies heralding a rebirth. The Delta creeks, once plagued by the devastation of illegal oil bunkering, are witnessing the return of life. The murky, polluted waters that suffered at the hands of artisanal refiners are now showing signs of rejuvenation.

I saw the mangroves making a slow but steady comeback, with fresh shoots sprouting where deforestation and oil spills had once held sway, leaving deep scars. They clapped their hands and smiled radiantly in the setting sun.

Interestingly, aquatic life—once depleted by pollution—is beginning to thrive again. Fishermen, who had abandoned the creeks due to dwindling fish stocks, now report signs of renewed marine activity. The turning point was the award of a pipeline surveillance contract to Tantita Security Surveillance Nigeria Ltd (TSSNL), which has brought stability, curbing the menace of illegal refining and allowing nature to heal.

Gradually, the gentle ripples on the water’s surface reflect not just the sky above but also a renewed hope for the ecosystem. With continued vigilance and environmental restoration efforts, Delta creeks are poised to reclaim their former vibrancy, offering a lifeline to both nature and the local communities that depend on it for economic survival.

The current scene conveys a profound sense of tranquillity and natural recovery—an ecosystem in transition. The regrowth of vegetation signals a resurgence of life, a testament to the efforts to curb the illegal activities that once odorously choked the area. This creek, formerly a hub for oil bunkering, now appears to be healing, fostering hope for a restored and thriving environment.

And so, I return to the Valentine’s Day trip that exposed Tantita’s “cruelty” in the creeks of Delta. Did you know that many of the young men who once engaged in the illicit creek business of economic sabotage are now responsible watchmen, guarding what they once destroyed? Did you know they are being handsomely remunerated to allow the creeks to heal and breathe fresh air, a non-kinetic method of restoring social order?

Isn’t it ironic—perhaps even iconically “wicked”—that former President Muhammadu Buhari entrusted this onerous task to an ex-militant, and the former’s successor, President Bola Tinubu, renewed the contract to further salvage the economy and preserve the vegetation for generations yet unborn? Is that reflective of the much-touted Renewed Hope Agenda you hear of?