Niger Delta stakeholders petition Tinubu, seek termination of pipeline surveillance contract

Niger Delta stakeholders, under the aegis of Niger Delta Centre for Justice and Accountability, NDCJA, have petitioned President Bola Tinubu, demanding the immediate termination of the pipeline surveillance contract.

The contract is currently being executed by Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, TSSNL, owned by former militant leader Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo.

The stakeholders described the contract as patronage-driven and detrimental to Nigeria’s national security, fiscal responsibility, and the welfare of citizens.

In the petition signed by Comrade Efe Justice, the stakeholders, who include peace activists, urged Tinubu to reject any renewal, extension, or variation of the contract.

Rather, they called for a complete decentralisation of pipeline surveillance across the Niger Delta.

The peace activists proposed an arrangement whereby credible indigenous contractors from each oil-producing state would be commissioned for the project through a transparent, competitive and open bidding processes.

The proposed approach, according to them, would leverage local intelligence and community knowledge, foster genuine competition, reduce ethnic and regional tensions, distribute economic benefits more equitably, and build a more resilient and inclusive security framework.

The petition highlighted persistent challenges under the current model, including oil theft, illegal bunkering and pipeline vandalism, which they said continue to cause massive economic losses.

They cited reports placing annual losses as high as $15 billion or more, equivalent to hundreds of thousands of barrels per day at current global prices.

“Recent operations have uncovered illegal bunkering networks expanding into urban peripheries, riverine areas, and regions like Abia State in early 2026, indicating that the monopolistic structure has failed to dismantle criminal syndicates and instead allows them to adapt and exploit gaps,” the petition said.

It equally raised concerns over potential conflict of interest, pointing to Tompolo’s past leadership of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, which disrupted oil production through armed campaigns.

The stakeholders frowned at Tompolo’s habit of leveling unproven accusations on the Nigerian Navy, including collusion with oil thieves, interference in operations and attacks on Tantita personnel.

They described the contract’s reported annual cost of approximately ₦48 billion as indefensible amid fiscal pressures.

The petition added, “Institutional reforms already embedded in the Petroleum Industry Act, together with sustained, professional military-led initiatives, provide a demonstrably more stable and institutionally anchored foundation than this fragile, personality-centric approach.

“Most critically, the continued privatisation of a core national security function through Tantita directly undermines Nigeria’s sovereignty, circumvents accountable state institutions, and establishes a dangerous precedent for outsourcing sovereign responsibilities to non-state actors.

“It stands in direct contradiction to the principles of federalism, genuine inclusivity, and equitable resource governance by marginalising diverse communities while concentrating disproportionate power and wealth in a narrow circle.

“For all these reasons, the NDCJA demands the immediate and unconditional termination of the Tantita contract and the prompt transition to a fully decentralised surveillance regime.

“Indigenous contractors, selected through open, transparent, and competitive bidding processes in each Niger Delta state, must be empowered to protect oil assets within their jurisdictions.

“Performance must be rigorously measured against verifiable benchmarks, subjected to regular independent audits, and integrated seamlessly with federal security agencies.

“Only through such structural reform can Nigeria construct a truly equitable, effective, and sustainable pipeline protection system capable of safeguarding national revenue, minimising division, and serving the long-term interest of the entire country.”