“There is no credible evidence to sustain any of the allegations. Accordingly, all complaints against Tantita are hereby dismissed,” said the Chairman of the House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), Ikenga Ugochinyere (APP, Imo), during extensive deliberations at a joint roundtable convened by the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Petroleum Resources, that reviewed submissions from stakeholders across the oil and gas sector during the hearing on Tuesday, April 7, 2026.

With the above statement, more than 300 federal lawmakers endorsed the continued engagement of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited (TSSNL) for pipeline surveillance and passed an unanimous vote of confidence in the company chaired by High Chief Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo alias Tompolo.

Recall that some stakeholders in the Niger Delta region have been campaigning for the decentralisation of the pipeline surveillance contract currently handled by Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited (TSSNL).

The lawmakers also warned that the breaking up the contract could undermine gains in oil production and security, especially as data presented at the hearing indicated increased crude oil output and a significant reduction in pipeline vandalism since the engagement of TSSNL.

As the session winds down, the committees dismissed all allegations levelled against the firm, describing them as “unsubstantiated”.

“Disrupting a system that is already delivering results would be counterproductive. Our responsibility is to ensure stability,” said the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), Agom Jarigbe (APC Cross River North).

Other legislators including Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, noted that the gains from enhanced pipeline security have helped boost Nigeria’s oil production by curbing oil theft, while illegal tapping points had been largely dismantled leading to improve crude deliveries to export terminals, and that the surveillance contract has generated employment for thousands of agitated youths in the Niger Delta thereby providing alternative livelihoods and strengthening community participation in asset protection.

Mr Tajudeen said the federal government introduced the pipeline surveillance framework, including private security operators and community-based structures, to address the above challenges, noting that collaboration between security agencies, private contractors, and host communities has improved production levels.

He added that legislative measures such as the Petroleum Production and Distribution (Anti-Sabotage) Act and reforms under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) have strengthened enforcement against pipeline vandalism and improved sector governance.

He also highlighted the role of institutions such as the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), as well as provisions such as the Host Community Development Trust under the PIA, which mandate corporate responsibility and give host communities a financial stake in protecting oil infrastructure.

Other legislators such as Odianosen Okojie (APC, Edo) cautioned against calls to decentralise the surveillance contract, noting that such a move could weaken coordination and reduce accountability.

Officials of the federal government who attended the session, including the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, and the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Bayo Ojulari, acknowledged improvements recorded under the current surveillance framework.

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