By Sunday Stephen<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A socio-political group under the aegis of the South South Initiative has strongly defended the current pipeline surveillance arrangement in the Niger Delta, warning that attempts to discredit the system could undermine efforts that have significantly reduced oil theft and vandalism in the region.
Addressing journalists on Thursday, the President of the group, Emmanuel Iriogbe, said the community-driven pipeline protection strategy adopted by the Federal Government has played a critical role in restoring stability to the Niger Delta and safeguarding Nigeria\u2019s vital oil infrastructure.
The group noted that Nigeria\u2019s crude oil pipelines remain central to the country\u2019s economic survival, lamenting that for decades the nation suffered massive losses due to vandalism, illegal bunkering, and organized crude oil theft.
According to the Initiative, previous strategies that relied solely on conventional security agencies failed to effectively tackle the menace, leading to trillions of dollars in losses that could have been invested in national development.
It explained that the situation began to improve when the Federal Government started engaging indigenous surveillance companies with deep knowledge of the terrain and host communities.
The group identified Tantita Security Services and Maton Engineering Services, among other local surveillance firms, as key operators whose involvement has contributed to the sharp decline in pipeline attacks and illegal refining activities across the Niger Delta.
According to the Initiative, the new security framework has enabled the government to obtain more reliable oil production data and make better economic projections.
It added that community participation has been central to the success of the initiative, as local youths and leaders have been integrated into pipeline monitoring operations.
The group further disclosed that when the pipeline surveillance contract was awarded, the leadership of Tantita convened a meeting in Oporoza, the headquarters of the Gbaramatu Kingdom, where community leaders from across the Niger Delta were invited.
According to the Initiative, the meeting ensured that pipeline protection responsibilities were shared across various ethnic groups and communities where oil facilities are located.
\u201cThis inclusive structure ensured that surveillance responsibilities were not monopolized by any single community. Coordinators and subcontractors were appointed across regions where pipelines pass, making every host community a stakeholder in protecting national assets,\u201d the group said.
However, the group expressed concern over what it described as a coordinated campaign of misinformation and blackmail aimed at discrediting the surveillance arrangement amid ongoing scrutiny of pipeline protection contracts.
It alleged that individuals who previously benefited from crude oil theft and illegal bunkering activities were attempting to destabilize the current system in order to regain control of illicit operations.
The Initiative urged Nigerians and the Federal Government to treat such allegations with caution, stressing that dismantling the current framework without a viable alternative could reverse the security gains recorded in the region.
It also argued that many oil-producing nations invest heavily in protecting their energy infrastructure and that Nigeria should not leave its most important economic resource exposed.
Beyond security operations, the group said surveillance contractors have also undertaken various corporate social responsibility initiatives, including youth empowerment programmes and community development projects across the Niger Delta.
According to the Initiative, these efforts have helped sustain the relative peace currently enjoyed in the region.
The group therefore called on the Federal Government under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to remain committed to protecting the gains achieved through the community-driven pipeline surveillance model.
It also suggested that the government could establish an independent delegation to verify claims regarding the effectiveness and inclusiveness of the current arrangement.
The South South Initiative further stressed that multiple surveillance contractors operate in the region, noting that attempts to portray the system as a monopoly were misleading.
The group warned that Nigeria is already grappling with economic pressures and security challenges, and destabilizing the Niger Delta could have serious implications for national revenue and energy security.
It therefore urged Nigerians to reject what it described as propaganda aimed at reviving the era of widespread oil theft and pipeline vandalism.
\u201cNigeria\u2019s oil resources belong to all Nigerians, and their protection is a responsibility we must all defend,\u201d the group stated.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Sunday Stephen A socio-political group under the aegis of the South South Initiative has strongly defended the current pipeline surveillance arrangement in the Niger Delta, warning that attempts to discredit the system could undermine efforts that have significantly reduced oil theft and vandalism in the region.Addressing journalists on Thursday, the President of the group, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4274,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4273","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/mlcqvjhyzqda.i.optimole.com\/cb:UNMm.7bb\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/frontlinenewsng.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_20260312_111931-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1928&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/frontlinenewsng.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4273","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/frontlinenewsng.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/frontlinenewsng.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/frontlinenewsng.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/frontlinenewsng.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4273"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/frontlinenewsng.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4273\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4275,"href":"https:\/\/frontlinenewsng.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4273\/revisions\/4275"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/frontlinenewsng.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4274"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/frontlinenewsng.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4273"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/frontlinenewsng.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4273"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/frontlinenewsng.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4273"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}