Pipeline Surveillance: Court Dismisses Contractors’ Suit Against NNPCL

The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit filed by the Incorporated Trustees of AGIP Indigenous Contractors Association and 43 others challenging the award of a pipeline surveillance contract by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).

Justice Mohammed Umar, in his ruling, held that the plaintiffs lacked locus standi and had not demonstrated any legal interest in the matter.

He further ruled that the suit disclosed no reasonable cause of action, striking it out entirely.

The contractors had alleged that NNPCL and its then Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, unlawfully awarded the pipeline surveillance contract to Tantita Security Services Limited, a firm owned by former Niger Delta militant Tompolo, without giving indigenous operators a fair opportunity to bid.

They argued that this action violated the Nigeria Oil and Gas Content Development Act 2010.

NNPCL, however, dismissed the claims as unfounded, insisting that the awarded firms, including Tantita, had proven effective in combating oil theft.

The company cited increased crude production, the interception of vessels, and the dismantling of illegal connections as evidence of their performance.

Delivering the ruling, Justice Umar described the plaintiffs as “meddlesome interlopers and busybodies” who failed to show any personal stake in the matter.

He subsequently struck out the case for lack of locus standi and absence of a valid cause of action.

Tantita Security Services and other third-party security outfits were engaged to protect critical oil infrastructure.

In 2024, operations under the arrangement resulted in the arrest of a tugboat carrying illegally refined diesel off Rivers State in April, amongst others.

The incident was among 155 cases of crude oil theft recorded in the Niger Delta within a single week.

States most affected included Rivers, Delta, and Bayelsa, where 38 suspects were arrested for alleged sabotage.