Ojulari Silent on Private Security Contractors as He Praises Military for Restoring Crude Oil Production

By Jeremy Fregene

The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Bashir Bayo Ojulari, has hailed the Nigerian military for its role in restoring crude oil production to near full capacity, but made no mention of the controversial private security contractors who are paid hundreds of millions of dollars to do the job.

Speaking at the opening of the Africa Chief of Defence Staff Conference in Abuja on Monday, Ojulari said Nigeria’s crude oil production has rebounded from levels as low as 20 to 30 percent pipeline receipt to “close to 100 percent” due to the efforts of security agencies.

He described crude oil theft as a complex transnational crime driven by international and continental syndicates that exploit weaknesses in Africa’s waterways and security architecture. “These operations involve specialised international syndicates that take advantage of gaps within the state, national and continental security architecture to conduct illegal activities,” Ojulari said, adding that only military collaboration across Africa could address the menace.

The NNPCL boss stressed that incidents of crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism had “become stories of the past” due to what he called the “immense and intentional efforts” of Nigerian security forces.

But conspicuously missing from his remarks was any reference to the high-paying contracts awarded to private security outfits such as Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, owned by ex-militant leader Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo. Tantita is reported to receive hundreds of millions of dollars annually to secure pipelines and curb theft in the Niger Delta—the very achievements Ojulari credited solely to the military and intelligence services.

Oil theft has long drained African economies, with Nigeria losing billions of dollars to the illicit trade over the years. Multiple investigations, however, have shown that such theft rarely occurs without collusion by high-ranking officials in government and the public service.

The Abuja conference was attended by Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented President Bola Tinubu; United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed; National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa; ECOWAS Commission President, Omar Touray; Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mahamoud Youssouf; former UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari; and FIRS Chairman, Zacch Adedeji.