PINL Foils Crude Theft, Tightens Surveillance Across Eastern Corridor

Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL) has foiled an attempted crude oil theft along the Eastern Corridor of the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP), prompting the company to tighten surveillance and issue a stern warning to contractors and operatives across its network.

The incident, which occurred at the Atali axis in Zone 4, involved two tankers intercepted while attempting to illegally load crude oil. PINL said the operation was thwarted through its backup intelligence system, averting what could have been a successful breach.

The company disclosed that preliminary findings suggest a possible coordinated effort involving insiders, raising fresh concerns about collusion within community-based surveillance structures.

Speaking at PINL’s monthly stakeholders’ meeting in Port Harcourt, the General Manager, Community and Stakeholder Relations, Dr. Akpos Mezeh, warned that any form of negligence or compromise would attract severe consequences.

“Recently, at Atali axis, Zone 4, two tankers were intercepted while attempting to load crude. It was only through the effectiveness of our backup intelligence system that this operation was foiled; otherwise, those trucks would have successfully loaded,” Mezeh said.

“Preliminary findings point to a possible coordinated conspiracy. Let me be clear, once investigations are concluded, everyone found culpable will be brought to justice. No one will be spared.”

He stressed that contractors found negligent or complicit would not only lose their contracts but also face prosecution under the law, describing the warning as a firm directive to all operatives across the corridor.

PINL is responsible for securing the eastern stretch of the TNP, a critical crude oil evacuation pipeline, as well as the Eastern Gas Network (EGN). Its operations rely heavily on surveillance contractors drawn largely from host communities.

Also addressing stakeholders, Engr. Akponime Omojevwhe, Head of Field Operations for the Eastern Corridor at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited’s (NNPCL) Project Monitoring Office, pointed to specific lapses in surveillance activities in parts of Rivers State.

He cited reported negligence among contractors in Obio/Akpor and Emohua Local Government Areas, warning that any contractor who allows sabotage within their jurisdiction would face sanctions.

“For the contractors in Atali and Egbeda communities in Zone 4 and Zone 6, I have the mandate to ensure that at any place that the community surveillance contractors allow somebody else to enter the community to sabotage the pipeline, the contractor should be given a non-performance certificate,” Omojevwhe said.

He noted that about 90 per cent of PINL contractors and all surveillance operatives are drawn from host communities, making internal vigilance a critical factor in pipeline security.

“Before engaging the guards, thoroughly do your due diligence so that they will not spoil the name of the community,” he added.

In response to the incident, PINL said it is strengthening its surveillance architecture across the Eastern Corridor, with a renewed focus on intelligence gathering, contractor accountability, and community engagement.

The development underscores the persistent challenge of crude oil theft in the Niger Delta, where sabotage and illegal bunkering have continued to undermine oil production and damage the environment.

Despite the security concerns, community leaders at the meeting commended the company’s efforts in restoring the ecosystem in affected areas.

The Eze Ekpeye-Logbo, King Kevin Anugwo, represented by Dr. Patricia Ogbonnaya, noted that aquatic life previously lost to pollution and illegal refining activities has begun to return.

He called on the Federal Government to provide greater support to PINL to sustain its operations and consolidate gains in environmental recovery.