— Firm Denies Involvement
Tantita Security Services has debunked claims that its Ondo State Coordinator, Snr High Chief Idowu Asonja, was involved in the burning of the residence of a community leader in Okitipupa, Oloja Ayodele Omodogbe.
The controversy erupted after Omodogbe alleged that his home was partially razed following a confrontation with Asonja and armed men believed to be military personnel.
Omodogbe had told reporters that trouble began on Sunday morning when he returned to find Asonja and several armed men in multiple vehicles entering a rented apartment behind his residence. The apartment, he said, was occupied by Asonja’s Chief Security Officer (CSO).
He alleged that the men forcefully broke into the building and assaulted the CSO, sparking panic among residents.
Omodogbe claimed he phoned Asonja to deescalate the situation and remind him of community protocols requiring security incidents to be reported through him as the Oloja. Instead, he alleged, Asonja issued threats.
“He warned me that he would also beat me,” Omodogbe said.
He further accused the coordinator of boasting that he had the power to kill him and his family “without consequences,” an allegation supported by an audio clip circulating online.
The situation escalated later that night. Around 1:00 a.m., Omodogbe said he was awakened by shouts of “fire!” and rushed out to find the office section of his home in flames.
Neighbours reportedly helped contain the fire, which destroyed about N200,000 in cash, a POS machine, and other valuables.
He claimed that Asonja later boasted before police officers who came to inspect the scene that he was behind the incident, but the officers allegedly refused to arrest him due to the presence of military personnel.
Omodogbe said he subsequently lodged a complaint at the Okitipupa Police Station and informed the Jegun of Idepe Okitipupa, Oba Michael Obatuga.
However, in a statement issued on Tuesday, Tantita Security Services dismissed all allegations as “entirely false, fabricated, and malicious.”
The company said no such incident occurred and insisted that attempts to link Asonja to violence were part of a campaign by individuals threatened by Tantita’s intensified crackdown on oil theft and illegal bunkering along the coastal corridor.
“The attempt to associate him with a nonexistent act of violence is mischievous and a desperate effort to undermine his work,” the company said.
Tantita urged the public to disregard the report, describing it as the handiwork of those whose “illegal interests are threatened by ongoing operations in Ondo State.”
