In a major boost to Nigeria’s maritime security architecture, Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited has handed over 15 newly acquired gunboats to the nation’s armed forces to strengthen the fight against oil theft, piracy, and other coastal crimes.
The handover ceremony, held at the Nigerian Navy Boatyard in Port Harcourt on Thursday, saw the Nigerian Army receive seven gunboats, while the Nigerian Navy took delivery of eight vessels.
Tantita, a private security firm headquartered in Effurun, Delta State, is known for its role in safeguarding Nigeria’s critical oil and gas infrastructure through pipeline surveillance, paramilitary escort services, and advanced monitoring operations.
The newly commissioned gunboats are expected to significantly enhance joint military operations across the Niger Delta and Nigeria’s coastal waters, improving surveillance capacity, rapid response, and deterrence against criminal networks engaged in illegal bunkering, smuggling, and piracy.
The event drew top military officials, representatives of Tantita Security Services, and key stakeholders from Rivers State, highlighting the growing importance of public-private partnerships in securing Nigeria’s maritime domain.
Officials at the ceremony stressed that the deployment of modern platforms such as the gunboats would reinforce the operational readiness of security forces and help safeguard vital national economic assets, while also ensuring safer navigation for commercial and civilian maritime activities.
Nigeria’s waterways have long faced threats from criminal elements, but stakeholders said initiatives like this signal a stronger, coordinated approach to protecting the country’s blue economy and strategic infrastructure.