Pipeline vandals now instal CCTV to evade being caught, says Tantita
Pipeline vandals and crude oil thieves have devised new ways of beating security surveillance in the Niger Delta region, Tantita Security Service Limited has said. The pipeline security company said
- National Assembly’s petroleum committees dismiss petitions against pipeline surveillance contract
- From Tony Akowe and Nicholas Kalu, Abuja
Pipeline vandals and crude oil thieves have devised new ways of beating security surveillance in the Niger Delta region, Tantita Security Service Limited has said.
The pipeline security company said the criminals now instal closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in forests and other strategic areas of their operations to monitor security operatives.
The company’s Executive Director of Operations and Technical Services, Captain Warrendi Enisuoh, announced this yesterday at a parliamentary roundtable on the state of pipeline security and the battle against crude oil theft.
Enisuoh said those sabotaging the nation’s pipeline use nthe CCTV to monitor when security agencies and Tantita operatives are approaching.
He also said that the vandals have established operational command and control centres around the area, and have acquired missile launchers with which they can shoot down any aircraft flying across the area.
Enisuoh said if the government had not done anything about pipeline surveillance in August 2022, the country would have been in trouble.
The director noted that the surveillance contract signed between the company and the government spans over 2000 kilometres across seven states.
He stressed that before the contract, crude oil theft was like a community effort in the Escravous area, where crude flows freely without the fear of government or security agents.
The Managing Director of Tantita, Kestin Ebomorbowei, said the surveillance contract has helped to reduce sabotage in the system and increased oil production to about 1.84 million barrels per day.
But the National Assembly joint Committees on Petroleum Resources, organisers of the roundtable, dismissed three petitions against the pipeline surveillance contract and passed a vote of confidence in Tantita Security Service Limited, the security agents, and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) for helping to restore the nation’s oil production.
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Oil production, according to available records, stood at about 1.8 million barrels per day as at the beginning of this month, an increase from about 900,000 barrels per day in 2022 when the surveillance contract was awarded.
The resolution followed a motion moved by the Chairman of the House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Midstream), Henry Okojie, at a parliamentary roundtable on the state of pipeline security and the battle against crude oil theft
Okojie noted that Tantita and the security agencies have recorded lots of achievements in securing the nation’s petroleum assets, thereby increasing oil revenue for the country.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, who moved the motion for the dismissal of the three petitions, said all the claims in the petitions were subjected to detailed scrutiny and found to be unsubstantiated.
“There is no credible evidence to sustain any of the allegations. We invited the petitioners on several occasions, including an invitation to appear before this roundtable. But they failed to honour the invitation. “Accordingly, all complaints against Tantita should be dismissed,” he said.
The lawmakers described Tantita as a critical national asset, citing its track record in reducing pipeline vandalism and improving crude oil production levels.
The lawmakers called for the long-term renewal of the company’s surveillance contract, firmly rejecting the proposals to decentralise or split the arrangement among multiple operators.
Also, the Coalition of Civil Society for Economic Protection has said the conversation around pipeline surveillance in the country must be guided by results.
Its National Convener, Ambassador Tesleem Kolawole Adepoju, noted that when national assets are properly secured, the economy benefits, communities stabilise, and young people gain real opportunities.
Leading the coalition’s solidarity rally at the National Assembly yesterday, the activist said Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited has become a visible part of a broader national effort that has helped to restore confidence in pipeline security and crude oil production.
Adepoju stated that, according to relevant authorities, Nigeria’s oil production rose to 1.8 million barrels per day in November 2024.
“It is also important to remember the context from which these gains emerged. It was reported that crude production had fallen as low as 500,000 barrels per day before Tantita’s engagement in 2022, due to vandalism and criminal activity.
“Whether one looks at the security challenge or the recovery, the point is the same: securing pipelines matters, because insecurity around oil assets damages national revenue, the environment, and livelihoods,” he said.
Adepoju said this was not the time to weaken a framework that has helped to restore production, support youth enterprise, improve education, and create alternatives to criminality.
“This is the time to strengthen accountability, improve coordination, and protect what is working. When a programme produces measurable gains in oil security, education, skills, agriculture, and youth engagement, the responsible thing is not disruption; it is consolidation.
“Therefore, we call for continuity, transparency, and support for every initiative that secures national assets while also lifting people. Tantita’s record, as publicly reported, shows that security and development can work together. That is the standard we should protect for Nigeria’s future,” Adepoju added.
