By Francis Sadhere, Warri
A legal practitioner and security expert, Blessing Agbomhere, has called on the Federal Government to sustain the petroleum pipeline surveillance contract coordinated by Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, describing it as “a strategic national instrument” vital to Nigeria’s economic stability and security framework.
In a public communication addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the National Security Adviser, and the leadership of the National Assembly, Agbomhere argued that the surveillance model operated through Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited and other indigenous firms has played a decisive role in curbing crude oil theft and restoring production levels in the Niger Delta.
He noted that Nigeria’s petroleum sector had in recent years faced what he described as an “unprecedented crisis,” marked by organised crude oil theft and widespread pipeline vandalism that significantly undermined national revenue.
According to him, daily oil production had fallen below the country’s OPEC quota, leading to billions of dollars in lost revenue, weakened investor confidence, and mounting fiscal pressures.
“The consequences were catastrophic,” Agbomhere stated, adding that conventional security deployments struggled to contain criminal networks operating across the creeks and offshore installations in the Niger Delta.
He credited the introduction of a community-based surveillance framework — anchored on local knowledge and grassroots intelligence — as a turning point in addressing the crisis. Under Ekpemupolo’s coordination, the surveillance arrangement reportedly led to the identification and dismantling of illegal tapping points, destruction of clandestine refining camps, interception of illicit crude transport routes, and improved stability across major trunk lines.
Agbomhere maintained that since the activation of the surveillance regime, oil production has recorded measurable increases, contributing to improved inflows into the Federation Account and enhanced macroeconomic stability.
“This is not conjecture; it is an empirical reality,” he said, pointing to renewed investor engagement and greater fiscal predictability.
Beyond revenue recovery, he emphasised the broader security implications of the contract, noting that the Niger Delta’s history of militancy and agitation has often been linked to economic exclusion and tensions over oil resources.
He argued that incorporating local actors into a structured and lawful security framework has reduced incentives for sabotage, fostered youth engagement in legitimate economic activities, and strengthened intelligence collaboration between communities and federal authorities.
“The surveillance contract has functioned not merely as a protective shield for pipelines but as a stabilising mechanism for regional peace,” he added.
Agbomhere also addressed recent calls for the cancellation of the contract, urging policymakers to carefully scrutinise such advocacy. He suggested that some opposition could stem from interests adversely affected by intensified anti-theft operations.
He cautioned against dismantling what he described as a “functioning security architecture” without evidence of non-performance or legal impropriety, warning that abrupt termination could create an intelligence vacuum, embolden bunkering syndicates, and threaten national revenue at a delicate economic moment.
While acknowledging the need for transparency and accountability, Agbomhere stressed that legislative oversight and performance audits remain essential in a democratic system.
“No public contract is beyond scrutiny, but reform must not degenerate into regression,” he said.
He called on President Tinubu, the National Security Adviser, and members of the National Assembly to prioritise empirical evidence, safeguard national revenue, and preserve peace in the South-South region, describing the surveillance arrangement as “not a mere procurement contract, but a strategic safeguard for Nigeria’s economic lifeline.”
A legal practitioner and security expert, Blessing Agbomhere, has called on the Federal Government to sustain the petroleum pipeline surveillance contract coordinated by Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, describing it as “a strategic national instrument” vital to Nigeria’s economic stability and security framework.
In a public communication addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the National Security Adviser, and the leadership of the National Assembly, Agbomhere argued that the surveillance model operated through Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited and other indigenous firms has played a decisive role in curbing crude oil theft and restoring production levels in the Niger Delta.
He noted that Nigeria’s petroleum sector had in recent years faced what he described as an “unprecedented crisis,” marked by organised crude oil theft and widespread pipeline vandalism that significantly undermined national revenue.
According to him, daily oil production had fallen below the country’s OPEC quota, leading to billions of dollars in lost revenue, weakened investor confidence, and mounting fiscal pressures.
“The consequences were catastrophic,” Agbomhere stated, adding that conventional security deployments struggled to contain criminal networks operating across the creeks and offshore installations in the Niger Delta.
He credited the introduction of a community-based surveillance framework — anchored on local knowledge and grassroots intelligence — as a turning point in addressing the crisis. Under Ekpemupolo’s coordination, the surveillance arrangement reportedly led to the identification and dismantling of illegal tapping points, destruction of clandestine refining camps, interception of illicit crude transport routes, and improved stability across major trunk lines.
Agbomhere maintained that since the activation of the surveillance regime, oil production has recorded measurable increases, contributing to improved inflows into the Federation Account and enhanced macroeconomic stability.
“This is not conjecture; it is an empirical reality,” he said, pointing to renewed investor engagement and greater fiscal predictability.
Beyond revenue recovery, he emphasised the broader security implications of the contract, noting that the Niger Delta’s history of militancy and agitation has often been linked to economic exclusion and tensions over oil resources.
He argued that incorporating local actors into a structured and lawful security framework has reduced incentives for sabotage, fostered youth engagement in legitimate economic activities, and strengthened intelligence collaboration between communities and federal authorities.
“The surveillance contract has functioned not merely as a protective shield for pipelines but as a stabilising mechanism for regional peace,” he added.
Agbomhere also addressed recent calls for the cancellation of the contract, urging policymakers to carefully scrutinise such advocacy. He suggested that some opposition could stem from interests adversely affected by intensified anti-theft operations.
He cautioned against dismantling what he described as a “functioning security architecture” without evidence of non-performance or legal impropriety, warning that abrupt termination could create an intelligence vacuum, embolden bunkering syndicates, and threaten national revenue at a delicate economic moment.
While acknowledging the need for transparency and accountability, Agbomhere stressed that legislative oversight and performance audits remain essential in a democratic system.
“No public contract is beyond scrutiny, but reform must not degenerate into regression,” he said.
He called on President Tinubu, the National Security Adviser, and members of the National Assembly to prioritise empirical evidence, safeguard national revenue, and preserve peace in the South-South region, describing the surveillance arrangement as “not a mere procurement contract, but a strategic safeguard for Nigeria’s economic lifeline.”
