A coalition of 20 Niger Delta groups has called on the National Assembly to disregard what it described as sponsored campaigns of blackmail and misinformation against Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited and Maton Engineering Company, firms currently engaged in pipeline surveillance operations in the region.
The groups made the appeal in an open letter addressed to the leadership of the National Assembly ahead of its plenary scheduled for Friday, urging lawmakers not to entertain allegations allegedly orchestrated by suspected oil theft cartels.
Signatories to the letter include the Ijaw Publishers’ Forum (IPF), Ijaw People’s Development Initiative (IPDI), Third Phase Leadership Forum of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Ijaw Women Rights’ Protection Forum, Niger Delta Progressive Youth (NDPP), Itsekiri Nation Youth Forum (INYF), Delta Mega Youth for 2027, Isoko Youth Network (IYN), Ijaw Women in Politics and Culture for Development, and Ijaw Women for Change (IWC).
Others are Urhobo Youths Coalition (UYC), Nigeria Progressive Youth Alliance (NPYA), Cross River Justice League (IJL), Bayelsa Youth Network, Rivers Youth Coalition Forum (RYCF), Edo People Assembly (EPA), Ondo Ijaw Justice Front (OIJF), Akwa Ibom Youth Stakeholders’ Network (AISN), Niger Delta Agitators for Equitable Development Forum (NDAEDF) and Warri Peace Forum (WPF).In the letter, the coalition expressed concern over what it described as attempts by vested interests to undermine the achievements recorded in the fight against crude oil theft since the engagement of the two firms.
According to the groups, oil theft had long crippled the economy of the Niger Delta and significantly undermined Nigeria’s revenue base before the current surveillance arrangement was introduced by the Federal Government. They noted that since the engagement of Tantita Security Services and Maton Engineering Company, crude oil theft had drastically reduced, production levels had improved, and community participation in pipeline protection had expanded across ethnic lines in the region.
The groups further stated that the present pipeline surveillance model incorporates host communities through employment opportunities, stakeholder engagement, intelligence gathering and grassroots participation involving youths and community leaders. They warned that attempts to discredit the companies could embolden criminal networks involved in crude oil theft, with potentially severe consequences for national revenue and regional stability.
The coalition urged the National Assembly to focus on strengthening initiatives that promote peace, stability and economic development in the Niger Delta, rather than giving attention to what it described as unfounded allegations.
The letter also highlighted the economic benefits of the surveillance contracts, noting that the operations of Tantita Security Services and Maton Engineering Company had created employment opportunities across various sectors including security, logistics, engineering and community services. According to the groups, the companies have also demonstrated commitment to corporate social responsibility by supporting local businesses, empowering youths and women through skills acquisition programmes and contributing to community development initiatives.
They therefore called on the National Assembly to critically examine the facts surrounding the allegations and resist any attempt to derail the ongoing efforts to curb crude oil theft in the Niger Delta. The coalition concluded by urging lawmakers to recognise and support the role of the surveillance firms in protecting Nigeria’s oil infrastructure and safeguarding the country’s economic interests.
