...Rescue The Children. Secure The Nation. Protect The People As these Should Be Nigeria's top priorities.

Erepamo Ogbemi, the Spokesperson of the Movement for the Restoration of Niger Delta (MRND), has criticized what he described as the misplaced priorities of lawmakers, expressing concern over insecurity and the plight of kidnapped schoolchildren across the country.

According to Ogbemi, Nigeria’s lawmakers have, in his view, lost their sense of humanity and reasoning. He alleged that public officials are now openly validating individuals and organizations that he claims have caused suffering to Nigerians, while seeking to reward them with national recognition.

Ogbemi stated that when more than 40 schoolchildren and teachers were reportedly kidnapped in Oyo State, and insecurity continued to spread across different parts of the country, the approximately 150 lawmakers he referred to in the National Assembly did not convene emergency sessions or take urgent steps to pressure the Federal Government into securing the release of the victims. Instead, he claimed that they appeared more focused on urging the Federal Government to confer a national honour on Tompolo and Tantita Security Services.

The MRND spokesperson alleged that Tompolo and Tantita Security Services are involved in activities including kidnapping, the operation of private detention facilities, killings, and other human rights abuses. These allegations are well documented with victims testifying and video of their beheadings Nigerians in River State as claims made by Ogbemi.

“On what exactly should the Federal Government confer a national honour on Tompolo and Tantita Security Services?” Ogbemi asked. “Is it for the continued failure of Nigeria’s crude oil production, which has remained below 1.5 million barrels per day, compared to about 2.5 million barrels per day around 2015? Or is it for what we believe to be the continued theft of Nigeria’s crude oil through organized networks? Or is it for the allegations of kidnapping, private prisons, killings, and beheadings that have been associated with them?”

Ogbemi described any attempt to honour Tompolo or Tantita Security Services as a national disgrace. He argued that, rather than seeking recognition for the company, lawmakers should be addressing and focusing on the worsening security situation across the country.

According to him, the National Assembly has remained largely silent while insecurity continues to affect many communities. He pointed to reports of children, teachers, and school principals being kidnapped in Oyo state, as well as villages allegedly being attacked by bandits and terrorist groups across the nation. 

“We should not be surprised,” Ogbemi said, “if these same lawmakers eventually pass a vote of confidence on those responsible for violence and insecurity in the country. Their actions suggest that they are more interested in rewarding failure than addressing the suffering of ordinary Nigerians.”

The MRND spokesperson further argued that pipeline surveillance contracts have remained in the hands of a small number of contractors for the past three years. He claimed that while illegal onshore bunkering has reportedly been reduced, Nigeria’s crude oil production has continued to remain below 1.5 million barrels per day.

“To us, this is a clear indication that there are deeper problems within the system,” Ogbemi stated. “We question why the National Assembly remains so interested in retaining these contractors despite what we consider their poor performance and the damage done to the nation’s economy.”

Ogbemi maintained that the National Assembly should have launched a thorough investigation into the operations of Tantita Security Services and other pipeline surveillance contractors. He argued that lawmakers should demand accountability and justification for the trillions of naira allegedly paid for surveillance contracts.

“The National Assembly should have probed these contractors and examined whether they have truly delivered on their mandates,” he said. “Instead, they have turned around and given a vote of confidence to what we see as failure, while also urging the Federal Government to reward that failure with national honours.”

Continuing his criticism, Ogbemi described the lawmakers as a disappointment to the people they represent and to the nation as a whole. He stressed that Nigeria is facing serious security challenges and that elected representatives should be focused on finding practical solutions.

“We have severe insecurity issues across the country,” he said. “It is the responsibility of lawmakers to be restless in seeking solutions, to convene emergency sessions when necessary, and to work closely with security agencies in order to bring insecurity to an end. They should not, in our opinion, be acting as instruments of any organization while neglecting the concerns of ordinary Nigerians.”

In conclusion, Erepamo Ogbemi, speaking on behalf of the Movement for the Restoration of Niger Delta (MRND), urged the Federal Government and security agencies to intensify efforts to address the insecurity ravaging the country and to ensure the safe return of all kidnapped children, teachers, and other victims of abduction.

“We call on the Federal Government and all relevant security agencies to take decisive action against insecurity and to prioritize the rescue and safe return of the kidnapped children and teachers,” Ogbemi stated. “The protection of Nigerian lives must remain the foremost responsibility of government.”