The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, its former Chief Executive Officer Mr. Mele Kyari, have countered claims by the AGIP Indigenous Contractors Association of unlawful award of pipeline surveillance security contract to Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, TSSNL, stating that the increase in national crude oil production, the arrest of vessels involved in crude oil theft, the dismantling and removal of illegal refineries and connections on oil pipelines among other success recorded is proof that Tantita and other contractors engaged were competent to handle the job.

The NNPCL and Kyari made the counter in a deposed affidavit before the Federal High Court, Abuja, in response to a suit filed by the AGIP contractors and six other indigenous companies and directors, namely Eliax Bleet Nig Limited, Tamak Plan Oil & Gas Ltd, De-friyo Marine Services Limited, Kalas Agai Nimitenbofa, Chief Taylor Amakiri, and Joclemsco Nig Ltd.

Recall that TSSNL, owned by High Chief Government Ekpemupolo alias Tompolo, was awarded the pipeline surveillance security contract by NNPCL in 2020. However, the AGIP contractors, who identify themselves in court as the apex organization representing the interests of indigenous contractors from oil and gas-producing communities in the Niger Delta, alleged an unlawful bidding process regarding the awarded pipeline surveillance security contract to Tantita.

According to the plaintiffs, the award of the contract did not follow due process, particularly the provisions of Section 15 of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act 2010, despite receiving several letters of interest from the 1st to 7th plaintiffs requesting to be included in the bidding process in line with the Act.

They also alleged that the NNPCL deliberately excluded them from participating in and benefiting from the bidding and award processes due to personal interests of them, leading to the contract awarded to their cronies whom they nominated and were shared among the staff of the 1st and 2nd respondents.

In response to the plaintiffs’ allegations, the NNPCL and Kyari, in their filed associated processes that included a counter-affidavit deposed to by Mr. Suleiman Kuku Usman, NNPCL Lead Counsel, Community Claims, urged the Court to consider the plaintiffs’ assertions as “untrue, incorrect, and misconstrued” and stated that the mere fact that the plaintiffs allegedly wrote letters of expression of interest to the NNPCL does not automatically confer on them any exclusive right or eligibility to be awarded the Pipeline Surveillance Contract.

They also noted that, in line with Section 64(a) of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, the NNPCL, as a private limited liability company, and like every other private company, is totally exempted from the provisions of the Public Procurement Act and the Fiscal Responsibility Act. Section 53(1), (7) & (8) of the PIA.

The NNPCL, Kyari highlighted that the contractors including Tantita engaged for the Pipeline Surveillance Security Contract by the NNPCL are fully indigenously owned companies with the requisite competence and capacity to effectively do the job and were awarded the contract was in line with the provisions of Section 15 of the NOGICD Act 2010 and that no provision of the Act whatsoever was violated.

Describing as “spurious and baseless” the claim by the plaintiffs of awarding the surveillance contract to their “cronies”, they noted that the increase in national crude oil production, the arrest of vessels involved in crude oil theft and the dismantling and removal of illegal refineries and connections on oil pipelines is proof that the TSSNL and other contractors engaged were competent to handle the job.

The hearing  judge, Justice G. Umar, at the resumed hearing on June 11, 2025, adjourned the case to July 7, 2025, for hearing at 11 a.m. and ordered that hearing notices be issued and served on all the defendants not present in court.

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