A fresh dispute over Nigeria’s multi-billion-dollar pipeline surveillance contracts erupted on Monday as Abili Integrated Services accused Tantita Security Services of making false claims and sponsoring sabotage to discredit competitors.

At a press conference in Port Harcourt on 20 April, the managing director of Abili Integrated Services, Brown Edoghotu, said his company was wrongly portrayed during a recent National Assembly hearing on pipeline security.

The controversy follows a roundtable convened by the National Assembly Joint Committee on Petroleum Resources on 8 April, where Tantita, in its presentation, reportedly alleged that other contractors were complicit in pipeline vandalism.

Mr Edoghotu rejected the allegation, describing it as “false, misleading and damaging,” and said a video presented at the hearing showing a man at a vandalised pipeline site was misinterpreted.

“The individual shown in that video is me,” he said. “My presence at the scene was in the course of duty following a reported incident at Oshika in Ahoada West Local Government Area on 22 September 2022.”

He said his team visited the site alongside representatives of the Nigerian Agip Oil Company, security agencies and civil defence personnel to assess damage and prevent recurrence.

Abili accuses Tantita of vandalism

Mr Edoghotu alleged that individuals responsible for the vandalism were linked to Tantita Security, a pipeline surveillance firm owned by Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo.

He claimed that some suspects were arrested and handed over to authorities, and named four individuals he alleged were workers of the rival firm and that they were involved in pipeline sabotage and illegal bunkering operations in the Niger Delta.

“These same individuals were behind an illegal bunkering camp which our Quick Response Team tracked and destroyed,” he said.

Tantita Security had said in 2023 that its operatives who were arrested were absolved after investigations and released.

Mr Edoghotu further alleged that the rival firm’s strategy involves orchestrating vandalism and presenting itself as the solution to secure contracts, an accusation has not been substantiated with independent evidence.

Dispute over surveillance claims

Mr Edoghotu also challenged claims reportedly made by Tantita Security about discovering massive illegal crude oil reservoirs in areas under his company’s coverage.

According to him, the figures cited were exaggerated and physically implausible.

“An Olympic-size swimming pool holds about 16,000 barrels of oil. Five of such pools would amount to 80,000 barrels. That scale of storage cannot go unnoticed,” he said, calling for independent verification by journalists and regulators.

He also disputed claims about extensive canal networks allegedly used for crude theft in his operational areas, asking the rival firm to provide verifiable evidence.

Mr Edoghotu questioned the effectiveness of Tantita Security’s operations in areas under its supervision, including parts of Bayelsa and Delta states.

He cited continued production losses in swamp and offshore terrains such as Brass and Escravos, where he claimed operators were producing below 30 per cent of capacity.

In contrast, he said areas under his company’s responsibility had achieved up to 96 per cent production levels, though he acknowledged that Abili does not cover all land assets.

Mr Edoghotu said his company had earlier requested a retraction of the video and claims made against it but received no response, prompting the press conference.

Tantita responds

PREMIUM TIMES reached out to Tantita Security Services for its comment. A communications officer who answered the phone said he was not in a position to respond and referred enquiries to Warrendi Enisuo, the company’s director of operations.

When contacted, Mr Enisuo said the company had already presented evidence to support its claims at the National Assembly.

“When we responded to ours, we made a presentation, isn’t it? So you ask for a presentation also with all the videos and all evidences. We left it at the National Assembly. Everyone is entitled to his or her opinion,” he said.

READ ALSO: End oil fires in Ondo, Rivers, HOMEF tells Nigerian govt

Nigeria challenged by vandalism

PREMIUM TIMES reported that pipeline vandalism and crude oil theft remain major challenges in Nigeria’s oil industry, costing the country billions of dollars annually in lost revenue and environmental damage.

In 2022, the federal government awarded large-scale pipeline surveillance contracts to private firms, including Tantita, in a bid to curb theft and boost production.

The contracts have since drawn scrutiny, with stakeholders raising concerns about transparency, accountability and the need for security outfits within each state to secure assets within its domain.

Oil pipeline security dispute grows as firm accuses Tompolo's team of sabotage

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