Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — Environmental justice activists from Nigeria have staged a peaceful protest outside the Nigerian High Commission in London, demanding justice for Ikerete Udo, a field coordinator with Tantita Security Services Ltd, who was allegedly murdered by suspected oil thieves while protecting pipelines in the Niger Delta.
The protesters in their number peacefully protested with placards and banners bearing different inscriptions such as, “justice for ikerete Udo,” “Stop media attacks on Tompolo,” “Ikerete Udo died protecting Nigeria’s oil pipelines,” amongst others.
Led by Mrs. Busayo Charles, spokesperson for the Niger Delta Environmental Justice Coalition, the demonstrators submitted a formal petition to the High Commission and called for immediate government action to investigate Udo’s killing and prosecute those responsible.
“Udo was killed in the line of duty while protecting Nigeria’s oil pipelines. He paid the ultimate price for defending our national assets. The government must not let his death go in vain.”
She described the killing as a “cowardly attack” believed to have been carried out by illegal oil bunkerers, urging Nigerian authorities to swiftly bring the perpetrators to justice.
“Nigeria is a just and fair country, and I believe justice will be done,” she added, urging President Bola Tinubu’s administration to provide financial compensation and long-term support to Udo’s bereaved family.
The petition submitted to the High Commission called for greater accountability in Nigeria’s oil sector and highlighted the need to protect frontline personnel working to combat crude oil theft, a crime that costs the country billions in revenue annually.
The petition further requested that the Nigerian Ambassador in the UK escalate the matter to relevant authorities in Abuja, warning that failure to act could embolden further violence against oil security operatives.
The coalition also demanded investigations into individuals allegedly inciting unrest and spreading misinformation against the leadership of Tantita Security Services, especially High Chief Government Ekpemupolo aka Tompolo, and Dr. Dennis Brutu Otuaro, Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme.
“These individuals must be probed for their possible roles in the region’s ongoing instability and criminal operations,” the petition stated.
While commending Tantita Security Services for supporting Udo’s family in the wake of the tragedy, the group insisted that the Federal Government must take a firmer stand.
“He lost his life courageously protecting the nation’s oil assets. The least the government can do is support the family he left behind,” the statement read.
Mrs. Charles concluded the protest with a broader appeal to both Nigerian and international authorities to hold accountable anyone contributing to violence and criminality in the oil-rich Niger Delta.
Officials of the Nigerian High Commission in London acknowledged receipt of the petition and assured the activists that it would be forwarded to appropriate government channels in Nigeria for prompt action.
