By Vivian Okejeme
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Abuja, has dismissed a suit seeking to halt and restructure the renewal of the nation’s pipeline surveillance contract.
Justice Kawu Bello, in his ruling on Monday, described the move by the Registered Trustees of the People’s Well-Being Association as contrary to national economic interests.
The court held that granting such reliefs would be inimical to national economic stability, warning that it could create a vacuum capable of triggering increased oil theft and significant revenue losses.
The Attorney General of the Federation, Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PIN), and Abokus Integrated Security Services Limited were listed as defendants in the motion.
In the ex parte motion marked FCT/HC/M/4534/2026, the plaintiffs sought, among other reliefs, an interim injunction restraining the Federal Government and NNPCL from renewing or continuing the pipeline surveillance contract.
They also requested that national security agencies take over pipeline protection and that details of payments made under the contract be disclosed before the court.
However, in its ruling, the court refused the application and declined to grant the interim orders.
The court emphasized that pipeline security remains central to Nigeria’s economic survival and is a matter of overriding public interest.
According to the court, “no court of law should grant an order capable of plunging the nation into economic crisis.”
The court further held that the Federal Government and NNPCL are at liberty to proceed with the renewal of the pipeline surveillance contract and must ensure that there is no operational vacuum pending the determination of the substantive suit.
It consequently ordered that all parties involved in the surveillance operations, including Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited and Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited, should continue discharging their responsibilities in the national interest.
The ruling reinforces the critical role of existing surveillance arrangements in safeguarding Nigeria’s oil infrastructure and sustaining economic stability.
Moreover, the plaintiffs prayed for an order of interim injunction restraining the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) (1st defendant) and NNPCL (2nd defendant) from further renewing the pipeline surveillance contract (worth billions of US dollars) awarded to Tantita Security Services Ltd, Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited, and Abokus Integrated Security Services Ltd (4th, 5th, and 6th defendants), pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
Furthermore, they prayed for an interim order mandating and directing the Federal Government to forthwith restructure the entire oil pipeline surveillance contract and direct all relevant security agencies, constitutionally vested with the powers and duty to provide such protection, to immediately take over the coordination of security of all national oil pipelines in the Niger Delta.
They also sought that these agencies monitor and supervise the activities of all other private security establishments, such as the 4th, 5th, and 6th defendants, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
If you want, I can also tighten it further into a more concise newsroom style or suggest stronger headlines.
Never miss a moment! Get the stories shaping Nigeria, delivered straight to your phone. Follow Peoplesdaily Newspaper on WhatsApp for breaking news, exclusive reports, and the headlines everyone will be talking about, before anyone else.
