Lawyer wants continuation of Niger Delta pipeline surveillance contract

By Ochiaka Ugwu

A legal practitioner and security expert, Blessing Agbomhere, has urged the Federal Government to sustain the petroleum pipeline surveillance contract coordinated by High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo.

In a statement, Agbomhere described the contract as “a strategic national instrument” critical to Nigeria’s economic stability and security architecture.

He called on Bola Tinubu, the National Security Adviser, the leadership of the National Assembly, and other senior government officials to preserve what he termed a proven security framework.

According to him, the surveillance structure operated through Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited and other indigenous firms has played a decisive role in curbing crude oil theft and restoring production levels in the Niger Delta.

Agbomhere noted that Nigeria’s petroleum sector had in recent years faced what he described as an “unprecedented crisis,” with organised crude oil theft and large-scale pipeline vandalism significantly undermining national revenue. He observed that daily oil production had fallen below the country’s OPEC quota, leading to billions of dollars in lost revenue, weakened investors’ confidence, and mounting fiscal pressures.

“The consequences were catastrophic,” he said, adding that conventional security deployments struggled to contain criminal networks operating across the creeks and offshore installations of the Niger Delta.
He credited the introduction of a community-based surveillance model — anchored on local knowledge and grassroots intelligence — as a turning point in addressing the crisis.

Under the coordination of Government Ekpemupolo through Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, the framework reportedly led to the identification and dismantling of illegal tapping points, destruction of clandestine refining camps, interception of illicit crude transport routes, and improved stability across major trunk lines.

Agbomhere maintained that since the activation of the surveillance regime, oil production has recorded measurable increases, contributing to improved inflows into the Federation Account and enhancing macroeconomic stability.

“This is not conjecture; it is an empirical reality,” he stated, pointing to renewed investor engagement and greater fiscal predictability.

Beyond revenue recovery, he emphasised the broader security implications of the contract, noting that the Niger Delta’s history of militancy and agitation has often been linked to economic exclusion and tensions over oil resources.

He argued that incorporating local actors into a structured and lawful security framework has reduced incentives for sabotage, fostered youth engagement in legitimate economic activities, and strengthened intelligence collaboration between communities and federal authorities.

“The surveillance contract has functioned not merely as a protective shield for pipelines but as a stabilising mechanism for regional peace,” he said.

Agbomhere also addressed recent calls for the cancellation of the contract, suggesting that such advocacy should be carefully scrutinised. He posited that some opposition may stem from interests adversely affected by intensified anti-theft operations.

He cautioned against dismantling what he described as a “functioning security architecture” without evidence of non-performance or legal impropriety, warning that abrupt termination could create an intelligence vacuum, encourage the resurgence of bunkering syndicates, and threaten national revenue at a delicate economic moment.

However, he acknowledged the importance of transparency and accountability, noting that legislative oversight and performance audits remain essential in a democratic system.

“No public contract is beyond scrutiny,” he said, “but reform must not degenerate into regression.”

Agbomhere urged President Tinubu, the National Security Adviser, and members of the National Assembly to prioritise empirical evidence, safeguard national revenue, and preserve peace in the South-South region.

He described the surveillance arrangement as “not a mere procurement contract, but a strategic safeguard for Nigeria’s economic lifeline,” calling on policymakers to consolidate existing gains rather than risk a return to instability.