Niger Delta Group Slams Tantita Pipeline Contract as Failure, Urges President to Reject Desperate Lies Justifying Failed Deal
By Peter Dansu
A prominent regional watchdog has dismissed recent claims of improved security in the Niger Delta under Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited (TSSNL), describing the touted successes as “grossly exaggerated and misleading” propaganda designed to justify a failing contract.
The Niger Delta Monitoring Group (NDMG) on Wednesday released findings from its independent audit and extensive fact-finding tour, directly contradicting a widely circulated investigation that hailed Tantita’s pipeline surveillance role for bringing stability to the region amid national security challenges.
In a statement signed by Comrade Thompson Tom, the group dismissed the report that Niger Delta has found stability through Tantita and its associated assertion of a 20.9 per cent drop in South-South insecurity incidents linked to the contract.
“Our comprehensive assessment, involving site visits to pipeline corridors, community engagements, security reports, and environmental data, reveals persistent failure, elite capture, and superficial operations that have not delivered genuine security or development for the people of the Niger Delta,” the NDMG stated.
The group highlighted several critical shortcomings that, according to its audit, undermine Tantita’s performance.
"Despite massive public funding, sophisticated illegal bunkering and tapping activities continue in multiple corridors. The NDMG said claimed reductions in incidents appear selective or statistically manipulated, ignoring under-reported cases in remote areas," the statement said.
"The highly centralised model has concentrated benefits among a few, breeding resentment and exclusion. Many communities reportedly feel alienated rather than protected, leading to parallel criminal activities.
"Oil spills, pollution, and inadequate remediation persist, with Tantita accused of failing to prioritise holistic environmental security, further devastating local livelihoods.
"Ground realities show intelligence gaps, response delays, and allegations of selective enforcement. A single centralised entity, the group argued, cannot effectively manage the vast and complex terrain of the Niger Delta.
" Limited independent oversight of expenditures and performance metrics raises serious questions about value for money and potential conflicts of interest."
The NDMG described the current arrangement as inefficient and unsustainable, rooted in the region’s long-standing “resource curse” dynamics.
“We urge Mr. President to be wary of desperate lies being peddled by vested interests to justify this failed contract,” Tom said.
“The Nigerian people, particularly in the Niger Delta, cannot be deceived by manipulated statistics and glossy headlines while oil theft, environmental degradation, and community exclusion continue unabated.”
The group strongly recommended the immediate decentralisation of the pipeline surveillance contract.
“This should involve sub-contracts or parallel frameworks awarded to credible community-based entities, state-level operators, and other competent private players,” the statement added.
According to the NDMG, decentralisation would introduce healthy competition, enhance local intelligence gathering, boost employment opportunities, and create necessary checks and balances for better overall performance.
“True stability in the Niger Delta requires inclusive, decentralised approaches that empower local stakeholders and ensure equitable benefit-sharing,” the statement added.
“The Niger Delta people deserve more than propaganda and centralised control — they deserve real security, development, and justice.”
By Peter Dansu
A prominent regional watchdog has dismissed recent claims of improved security in the Niger Delta under Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited (TSSNL), describing the touted successes as “grossly exaggerated and misleading” propaganda designed to justify a failing contract.
The Niger Delta Monitoring Group (NDMG) on Wednesday released findings from its independent audit and extensive fact-finding tour, directly contradicting a widely circulated investigation that hailed Tantita’s pipeline surveillance role for bringing stability to the region amid national security challenges.
In a statement signed by Comrade Thompson Tom, the group dismissed the report that Niger Delta has found stability through Tantita and its associated assertion of a 20.9 per cent drop in South-South insecurity incidents linked to the contract.
“Our comprehensive assessment, involving site visits to pipeline corridors, community engagements, security reports, and environmental data, reveals persistent failure, elite capture, and superficial operations that have not delivered genuine security or development for the people of the Niger Delta,” the NDMG stated.
The group highlighted several critical shortcomings that, according to its audit, undermine Tantita’s performance.
"Despite massive public funding, sophisticated illegal bunkering and tapping activities continue in multiple corridors. The NDMG said claimed reductions in incidents appear selective or statistically manipulated, ignoring under-reported cases in remote areas," the statement said.
"The highly centralised model has concentrated benefits among a few, breeding resentment and exclusion. Many communities reportedly feel alienated rather than protected, leading to parallel criminal activities.
"Oil spills, pollution, and inadequate remediation persist, with Tantita accused of failing to prioritise holistic environmental security, further devastating local livelihoods.
"Ground realities show intelligence gaps, response delays, and allegations of selective enforcement. A single centralised entity, the group argued, cannot effectively manage the vast and complex terrain of the Niger Delta.
" Limited independent oversight of expenditures and performance metrics raises serious questions about value for money and potential conflicts of interest."
The NDMG described the current arrangement as inefficient and unsustainable, rooted in the region’s long-standing “resource curse” dynamics.
“We urge Mr. President to be wary of desperate lies being peddled by vested interests to justify this failed contract,” Tom said.
“The Nigerian people, particularly in the Niger Delta, cannot be deceived by manipulated statistics and glossy headlines while oil theft, environmental degradation, and community exclusion continue unabated.”
The group strongly recommended the immediate decentralisation of the pipeline surveillance contract.
“This should involve sub-contracts or parallel frameworks awarded to credible community-based entities, state-level operators, and other competent private players,” the statement added.
According to the NDMG, decentralisation would introduce healthy competition, enhance local intelligence gathering, boost employment opportunities, and create necessary checks and balances for better overall performance.
“True stability in the Niger Delta requires inclusive, decentralised approaches that empower local stakeholders and ensure equitable benefit-sharing,” the statement added.
“The Niger Delta people deserve more than propaganda and centralised control — they deserve real security, development, and justice.”
