CCM Tinubu pipeline contract termination call as Niger Delta group demands scrapping of surveillance deal over alleged oil theft surge

The Creek to Creek Movement, CCM, a Niger Delta advocacy group, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to terminate the pipeline surveillance contract currently awarded to Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, alleging that the arrangement has failed to curb oil theft and has instead created what it described as a monopoly in the sector.

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The CCM Tinubu pipeline contract termination demand was contained in a statement issued on Thursday and signed by the group’s spokesman, Comrade Enohor Francis.

The group also distanced itself from a statement allegedly issued in its name praising Tantita’s performance, describing it as fraudulent and the work of impostors.

Francis said the matter had been reported to the Nigeria Police Force, citing allegations of criminal impersonation, forgery, and fraud.

According to CCM, the pipeline surveillance arrangement should be urgently reviewed and scrapped, insisting that oil theft has continued unabated under the current framework.

The group argued that the contract structure has concentrated security responsibility in the hands of a single contractor, which it claims has weakened accountability and encouraged continued losses.

In its statement, CCM warned President Tinubu that failure to act decisively could be interpreted as tolerating what it described as the mismanagement of national resources.

It further claimed that Nigeria has lost over ₦2.5 trillion to oil theft since the contract commenced, with daily crude losses allegedly still averaging around 180,000 barrels.

The group also called for the decentralisation of pipeline security operations, proposing a system involving the military, community-based groups, and multiple private contractors to improve efficiency and oversight.

CCM expressed concern over what it described as rising environmental and economic damage in the Niger Delta, alleging that pipeline breaches and spillages have increased significantly in recent years, affecting farmlands and fishing communities.

It claimed that oil theft incidents rose from 312 cases in 2023 to over 500 in the following year, alongside what it described as worsening pollution levels and destruction of livelihoods across affected communities.

The group maintained that those behind the allegedly forged statement would face prosecution, insisting that all evidence had been handed over to law enforcement agencies.

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CCM urged the Federal Government to urgently rethink its pipeline security strategy, warning that continued reliance on a single contractor could further destabilise the region and undermine investor confidence in Nigeria’s oil sector.