by Ogbeni Olawale Dawodu
The South South Initiative has strongly defended the Federal Government’s pipeline surveillance arrangement in the Niger Delta, highlighting the role of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited in reducing crude oil theft and vandalism, while warning that recent criticisms of the system are being fuelled by misinformation and vested interests.
Speaking during a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, the President of the group, Emmanuel Iriogbe, said the community-based surveillance structure anchored by indigenous companies such as Tantita has produced measurable results in safeguarding Nigeria’s oil infrastructure.
According to him, the model introduced by the Federal Government has significantly curtailed pipeline vandalism, illegal bunkering and crude oil theft across the Niger Delta.
“Nigeria’s crude oil infrastructure is the lifeline of the national economy, and protecting it requires strategies that involve host communities who understand the terrain,” Iriogbe said.
He explained that for many years Nigeria suffered heavy economic losses due to rampant pipeline attacks, illegal refining operations and organised crude oil theft.
According to the Initiative, successive administrations struggled to effectively curb the menace until the government adopted a community-driven surveillance approach that engaged indigenous companies to complement conventional security agencies.
The group identified Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited and Maton Engineering Services Limited among firms currently participating in monitoring pipelines and other critical oil facilities across the region.
“Before the introduction of these indigenous surveillance structures, pipelines were under relentless attack. Illegal refineries operated openly and crude oil was siphoned in massive quantities,” the group stated.
“Today, pipeline vandalism has reduced drastically, illegal bunkering has been significantly curtailed and the Federal Government can now make projections and budgetary plans based on more reliable production data.”
The Initiative also stressed that the surveillance arrangement was deliberately designed to be inclusive, ensuring that host communities across the Niger Delta are directly involved in protecting oil assets.
It recalled that when the pipeline surveillance contract was awarded, the leadership of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited convened a meeting in Oporoza, headquarters of the Gbaramatu Kingdom in Delta State, where community leaders from across the Niger Delta—from Ondo to Cross River—were invited.
According to the group, the meeting resolved that pipeline protection would not be dominated by a single ethnic group or community but distributed through coordinators and subcontractors representing various tribes and host communities.
“This inclusive approach ensured that every community became a stakeholder in protecting national assets while also providing legitimate employment opportunities for youths across the Niger Delta,” the statement said.
However, the group expressed concern over what it described as a coordinated campaign aimed at discrediting the surveillance arrangement.
It alleged that individuals who previously benefited from oil theft and illegal refining operations are uncomfortable with the accountability introduced by the current system.
“Corruption in the oil bunkering sector is fighting back. Those who profited from the chaos of pipeline vandalism and illegal refineries are naturally uncomfortable with the new order,” the Initiative said.
The group cautioned the Federal Government against handing pipeline protection to forces it accused of collaborating with illegal refining networks, urging authorities to treat allegations against surveillance contractors with caution.
It also called on Bola Ahmed Tinubu to sustain the current framework, warning that dismantling it without a viable alternative could destabilise the Niger Delta and reverse the relative peace recorded in recent years.
“As history has shown, there was a time when the Niger Delta was engulfed in violence. Militancy disrupted oil production, pipelines were destroyed and national revenues collapsed,” the group stated.
“The present stability was achieved through dialogue, inclusion and community participation.”
The Initiative further suggested that the Federal Government could establish an independent delegation to verify claims regarding the inclusiveness of the surveillance structure, the reduction in vandalism and its impact on community development.
It also clarified that several contractors operate along different pipeline corridors in the Niger Delta, stressing that the system should not be portrayed as a monopoly.
According to the group, the collaborative surveillance model currently in place has proven more effective than previous approaches in protecting Nigeria’s critical oil infrastructure.
