Lawyer urges FG to sustain Tompolo’s pipeline surveillance deal to protect Nigeria’s oil revenue, Niger Delta stability
A legal practitioner, Blessing Agbomhere, has urged the Federal Government to retain the petroleum pipeline surveillance contract coordinated by Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, describing it as a strategic
A legal practitioner, Blessing Agbomhere, has urged the Federal Government to retain the petroleum pipeline surveillance contract coordinated by Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, describing it as a strategic national instrument critical to Nigeria’s economic stability and security architecture.
In a public communication addressed to President Bola Tinubu, the National Security Adviser and the leadership of the National Assembly, Agbomhere argued that the surveillance framework implemented through Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited and other indigenous firms has substantially curtailed crude oil theft and strengthened output in the Niger Delta.
He said the petroleum sector recently confronted an unprecedented crisis as organised crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism pushed daily production below Nigeria’s quota under the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). According to him, the shortfall triggered significant revenue losses, eroded investor confidence and intensified fiscal pressure.
Agbomhere, who serves as the South South Zonal Organising Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, noted that conventional security deployments had struggled to dismantle criminal networks operating across the creeks and offshore installations in the Niger Delta. He, however, credited the introduction of a community-based surveillance structure—anchored on local expertise and grassroots intelligence—as a decisive shift.
Under Ekpemupolo’s coordination, the arrangement reportedly led to the identification and dismantling of illegal tapping points, destruction of illicit refining camps, interception of unauthorised crude transport channels and improved stability along major trunk lines.
Agbomhere maintained that oil production has posted measurable gains since the implementation of the surveillance regime, resulting in stronger inflows into the Federation Account and enhanced macroeconomic stability.
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“This is not conjecture; it is an empirical reality,” he said, citing renewed investor engagement and improved fiscal predictability.
Beyond economic gains, he stressed the broader security implications, noting that militancy and agitation in the Niger Delta have historically been linked to economic marginalization and disputes over oil resources.
By incorporating local actors into a structured and lawful security framework, he argued, the contract has reduced incentives for sabotage, promoted youth engagement in legitimate 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 stated.
Addressing calls for cancellation of the contract, Agbomhere urged caution, suggesting that some opposition may be driven by interests negatively affected by intensified anti-theft operations.
He warned that abruptly dismantling what he described as a functioning security architecture could create an intelligence vacuum, embolden bunkering syndicates, and threaten national revenue at a sensitive economic period.
He nonetheless emphasised the need for transparency and accountability, noting that legislative oversight and performance audits are essential in a democratic system.
“No public contract is beyond scrutiny,” he said, “but reform must not degenerate into regression.”
Agbomhere called on President Tinubu, the National Security Adviser, and members of the National Assembly to prioritise empirical evidence, protect national revenue, and preserve peace in the South-South region, describing the surveillance arrangement as “not a mere procurement contract, but a strategic safeguard for Nigeria’s economic lifeline.”
