Against calls for the cancellation of the pipeline surveillance contract in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, the South-South Zonal Organising Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Chairman of the Edo State Ecological Funding and Management Commission, Blessing Agbomhere, has cautioned the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led Federal Government and policymakers to not risk a return to instability, but rather to consolidate on existing gains.

The call by Agbomhere, a legal practitioner, author, and security expert, is contained in an open letter addressed to President Bola Tinubu, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, and the leadership of the National Assembly, on Monday, March 2, 2026.

Agbomhere credited the introduction of a community-based surveillance model coordinated by Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited (TSSNL) under the leadership of High Chief (Dr.) Government Ekpemupolo alias Tompolo for the rebound of oil production levels, security and peace in the region.

In the letter, he said the surveillance contract is “a strategic national instrument” that has helped to curb crude oil theft and restore production levels in the Niger Delta, proving its vitality to Nigeria’s economic stability and security framework.

"Nigeria’s petroleum sector had in recent years faced an unprecedented crisis as organised crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism significantly undermined national revenue. The consequences were catastrophic. Daily oil production fell below the country’s OPEC quota, resulting in billions of dollars in lost revenue, weakened investor confidence and mounting fiscal pressures," the letter reads.

He reminded the government that conventional security deployments had struggled to contain criminal networks operating across the creeks and offshore installations in the region, while he stressed that since the activation of the surveillance regime, oil production had recorded a measurable increase, contributing to improved inflows into the Federation Account and enhancing macroeconomic stability.

“This is not conjecture; it is an empirical reality,” he stated while drawing attention to what he described as "renewed investor engagement and greater fiscal predictability."

Beyond revenue recovery, Agbomhere stressed on the broader security implications of the contract, arguing that the Niger Delta’s history of militancy and agitation has often been linked to economic exclusion and tensions over oil resources.

“The surveillance contract has functioned not merely as a protective shield for pipelines but as a stabilising mechanism for regional peace,” the letter reads.

On recent calls for the cancellation of the contract, he cautioned that an abrupt termination could create an intelligence vacuum, encourage the resurgence of bunkering syndicates and threaten national revenue at a delicate economic moment.

However, Agbomhere acknowledged the need for transparency and accountability, stating that “No public contract is beyond scrutiny, but reform must not degenerate into regression.”

He therefore called on the President, the NSA and members of the National Assembly to prioritise empirical evidence, safeguard national revenue and preserve peace in the South-South, just as he noted that the surveillance arrangement is “not a mere procurement contract, but a strategic safeguard for Nigeria’s economic lifeline."

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