Protesters under the banner of Concerned Niger Delta Stakeholders on Tuesday staged a demonstration at the National Assembly, opposing calls to decentralise the pipeline surveillance contract handled by Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited.
The group said attempts to review the existing framework were driven by narrow interests and could undermine the security gains recorded in the oil-producing region.
Marching with placards bearing messages such as “Nigeria cannot afford setbacks in oil security” and “Don’t destroy Niger Delta peace for self-interest,” the protesters warned against altering what they described as a working system.
Speaking for the demonstrators, Hon Duduke Ebitimi recalled the period before Tantita’s engagement, when oil theft, pipeline vandalism, kidnappings and sea piracy were rife across the Niger Delta.
He said crude oil output at the time fell to between 800,000 and 900,000 barrels per day, dealing a blow to national revenues.
Ebitimi added that widespread illegal bunkering and makeshift refineries devastated the environment, polluted communities and disrupted economic life, with frequent protests paralysing key transport routes, including the East–West Road.
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According to him, the surveillance contract has since helped restore stability, curbed illegal bunkering and lifted oil production to over two million barrels per day.
He said the initiative had also created jobs for thousands of youths, strengthened cooperation with security agencies and improved the protection of critical oil infrastructure.
The protesters rejected calls for decentralisation, arguing that those pushing the proposal lacked the capacity to manage the contract and were motivated by personal gain rather than regional interest.
Furthermore, the protesters cautioned against linking the issue to the 2027 general elections.
Urging the Federal Government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited to sustain the current arrangement, Ebitimi said the contract was awarded through a competitive bidding process and was not a political favour to Tantita or its chairman, Tompolo.
He maintained that any party seeking similar opportunities should compete for contracts through established procedures rather than campaign for changes to an arrangement he described as effective.