“Don’t Sacrifice Niger Delta Peace!” — Ex-IYC President Theophilus Tells Ribadu To Tell Tinubu The Whole Truth, Demands Inclusive Pipeline Surveillance Contracts

By Passman Akpos

Former President of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Dr. Alaye Tari Theophilus, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to decentralise the pipeline surveillance contract across the Niger Delta, warning that excluding credible regional stakeholders from the security arrangement could undermine lasting peace, national security and efforts to increase crude oil production.

Theophilus also urged the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, to provide the President with what he described as a comprehensive and balanced assessment of the challenges confronting the Niger Delta, particularly concerns surrounding the existing pipeline surveillance contract structure.

The former IYC president made the call while reacting to the Federal Government’s efforts to strengthen security in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, insisting that sustainable solutions would remain difficult to achieve if the grievances of affected communities and stakeholders were not adequately addressed.

According to him, although the NSA’s commitment to resolving security challenges in the region is commendable, the Federal Government must move beyond general assurances and address concerns about fairness, representation and the concentration of pipeline surveillance responsibilities in the hands of a limited number of operators.

He maintained that decentralising the contract would not amount to confrontation with existing contractors but would provide an opportunity to broaden participation, improve accountability and strengthen community involvement in protecting critical petroleum infrastructure.

‘Tinubu Must Not Be Given A One-Sided Picture’

Theophilus cautioned President Tinubu against relying exclusively on the views of a limited number of individuals when making decisions affecting the Niger Delta, arguing that meaningful engagement with stakeholders across the region was essential to understanding the security situation.

He said the contributions and sacrifices of individuals and groups who participated in the Niger Delta struggle should not be overlooked when determining the region’s security arrangements.

“The contributions and sacrifices of those who fought for the Niger Delta must not be forgotten or sidelined in decisions concerning regional security and the protection of national assets,” he said.

The former IYC president argued that a surveillance system perceived by sections of the region as exclusive could deepen feelings of marginalisation and weaken the trust required for effective cooperation between host communities, security agencies and petroleum industry operators.

He therefore called on Ribadu to prioritise fairness, inclusiveness and national interest in advising the President on the future of pipeline surveillance operations.

According to him, the objective should be to establish a system that accommodates competent and credible stakeholders in the individual Niger Delta states, enabling them to contribute meaningfully to the protection of oil and gas infrastructure within their respective territories.

“The NSA should be championing a structure that brings all credible stakeholders to the table, rather than one that creates the impression that pipeline surveillance is a privilege reserved for a select few. National security must never be reduced to personal interests or political considerations,” he stated.

Decentralisation Not A Call For Confrontation

Theophilus stressed that the demand for decentralisation should be understood as a proposal for administrative reform and wider participation rather than an attempt to undermine existing security operations.

He argued that involving credible stakeholders from different oil-producing states could improve local intelligence gathering, strengthen community cooperation and create a greater sense of shared responsibility for protecting petroleum infrastructure.

Under the arrangement he advocated, stakeholders with the necessary competence and credibility in each state would have a meaningful role in pipeline protection within their territories.

He maintained that such an approach could help address concerns about representation while supporting the Federal Government’s objectives of combating crude oil theft, preventing pipeline vandalism and increasing national petroleum revenue.

However, he emphasised that decentralisation must be accompanied by proper oversight, accountability and clear operational standards to ensure that all participating contractors and stakeholders operate within the law.

Ribadu’s New Oil Security Framework Raises Questions About Inclusion

The intervention comes after Ribadu unveiled a new security framework for Nigeria’s oil and gas industry aimed at combating crude oil theft, illegal refining, pipeline vandalism and other criminal activities threatening petroleum infrastructure.

As earlier reported by Tarakirivoice, the framework, known as the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry-Wide Security Architecture, is designed to harmonise security operations, clarify institutional responsibilities and improve coordination among security agencies, regulators, industry operators and private pipeline surveillance contractors.

The framework also provides procedures relating to surveillance operations, arrests, detention and the evacuation of recovered petroleum products.

At its unveiling, Ribadu emphasised the importance of intelligence sharing, institutional cooperation, respect for legal mandates and compliance with established operational procedures.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) also endorsed the framework, describing it as an important step towards protecting petroleum assets, improving government revenue and restoring investor confidence.

However, while the framework focuses on operational coordination and security procedures, Theophilus’s intervention highlights a separate but related question: whether the structure for allocating pipeline surveillance responsibilities adequately accommodates credible stakeholders across the Niger Delta.

The extent to which the new framework addresses concerns about contract distribution, state-level participation and community representation will be important to stakeholders monitoring its implementation.

Oil Production, National Security At Stake

Theophilus argued that Nigeria’s efforts to increase crude oil production and combat oil theft would depend not only on security operations but also on the Federal Government’s ability to build confidence among communities and stakeholders in the Niger Delta.

He maintained that a surveillance arrangement supported by broader participation and community acceptance could improve cooperation and contribute to more sustainable protection of oil and gas infrastructure.

According to him, the Federal Government must recognise that the Niger Delta remains central to Nigeria’s petroleum industry and that the security of oil assets cannot be separated from the concerns of the communities where those assets are located.

He urged the Presidency to engage stakeholders across the region before making decisions that could further shape the management of pipeline surveillance operations.

“The message to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is simple: do not allow anyone to convince you that the Niger Delta problem can be sustainably resolved by listening to only a few individuals. The voices, concerns and contributions of credible stakeholders across the region must be heard,” he declared.

He added that if the Federal Government’s objectives were to secure pipelines, increase crude oil production, eliminate oil theft and sustain peace, it should be prepared to decentralise the surveillance contract and give individual states a meaningful role in managing security within their territories.

“The National Security Adviser should be advising the President on how to build a more inclusive and effective system, not on how to preserve an arrangement that leaves important stakeholders feeling excluded. We must put the interest of Nigeria above every personal or political consideration,” he said.

Call For Action From The Presidency

The former IYC president further urged the Federal Government to ensure that the implementation of the new oil and gas security framework did not become another missed opportunity to address longstanding grievances in the Niger Delta.

He called for a deliberate approach that combines effective security operations with transparent decision-making, fair representation and accountability in the management of pipeline surveillance responsibilities.

While acknowledging the importance of tackling crude oil theft, illegal refining and pipeline vandalism, he insisted that operational reforms should also address concerns about who participates in securing petroleum infrastructure and how responsibilities are distributed across the region.

Theophilus concluded by emphasising that lasting peace in the Niger Delta was critical to Nigeria’s economic stability and national security.

“If you want to solve Nigeria’s problem, solve the Niger Delta problem first. Tinubu must act now: decentralise the pipeline surveillance contract for peace, equity and national security,” he stated.

The Questions The Federal Government Must Answer

The renewed call raises several questions for the Federal Government, the NSA and relevant petroleum industry authorities:

• Will the Federal Government consider decentralising pipeline surveillance responsibilities across the Niger Delta states?
• What criteria currently guide the selection and allocation of pipeline surveillance contracts?
• What mechanisms exist to ensure transparency, accountability and effective oversight of private surveillance contractors?
• How are host communities and other credible regional stakeholders represented in decisions concerning petroleum infrastructure security?
• Will the implementation of the new security framework address concerns about inclusion while maintaining clear command structures and compliance with the law?

As Nigeria seeks to protect its petroleum revenue and increase crude oil production, the debate over pipeline surveillance is likely to remain significant.

For Theophilus, the central argument is that securing Nigeria’s oil assets requires more than operational coordination: it also requires a structure that earns the confidence of stakeholders across the Niger Delta.

Whether the Federal Government will adopt his proposal remains to be seen. The eventual outcome will be measured by the effectiveness of security operations, the protection of national assets, the level of stakeholder participation and the sustainability of peace in the oil-producing region.