…As Pipeline Surveillance Debate Rages in the Niger Delta
By Jeremy Fregene
The Nigerian Navy has intensified its pipeline surveillance operations, intercepting two vessels loaded with suspected stolen crude oil valued at over ₦4 billion and arresting 26 crew members in a major anti-oil theft crackdown.
The vessels—MT Mkpodu and MT Westaf AF—were apprehended in the Calabar/Akwa Ibom operational axis while allegedly siphoning crude from a wellhead, in what authorities described as a decisive blow against economic sabotage.
The Commander of Joint Task Force South-South, Operation Delta Safe, Rear Adm. Olugbenga Oladipo, disclosed the development while briefing journalists in Calabar, noting that the operation was driven by credible intelligence received around midnight on April 8.
He said troops engaged in the operation caught one of the vessels, MT Mkpodu, actively siphoning crude oil at the time of arrest, while both vessels were subsequently secured with the support of naval and air assets.
According to him, Nigerian Navy Ship SHERE and a naval helicopter provided real-time surveillance and operational support, while additional platforms, including NNS OSE and personnel from the Forward Operating Base, Ibaka, facilitated the transfer of the vessels and suspects to the naval base in Calabar.
Oladipo added that another vessel, MT Steliosk, was similarly intercepted on 10 April, underscoring what he described as renewed operational momentum by the Navy in curbing crude oil theft.
The Navy said the arrests highlight its sustained commitment to protecting Nigeria’s oil assets through inter-agency collaboration involving the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Defence Headquarters.
Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Naval Command, Rear Adm. Chidozie Okehie, commended the operation and assured continued crackdown on oil theft in the region.
However, the high-profile interceptions have once again spotlighted the long-running friction between the Nigerian Navy and private pipeline surveillance contractors, particularly Tantita Security Services, which holds a multi-billion naira contract to secure oil infrastructure.
Despite the expansive surveillance mandate of Tantita and its partners, the successful movement of vessels carrying stolen crude, until their interception by the Navy, has raised fresh questions about coverage gaps and operational effectiveness.
The latest development is expected to further inflame the rivalry between both sides, especially as debates intensify over the renewal and performance review of pipeline surveillance contracts in the Niger Delta.
The tension is not new.
In December 2023, the Nigerian Navy publicly accused Tantita of colluding with oil thieves following the arrest of a vessel allegedly siphoning crude in an area said to be under the company’s surveillance coverage.
Tantita, however, countered by accusing the Navy of shielding oil thieves. The firm claimed its personnel were arrested while pursuing suspects towards a naval base, describing the Navy’s actions as a “tragicomedy of errors” and a smear campaign.
The exchange escalated into a war of words, with both sides trading accusations over who was truly sabotaging efforts to curb crude oil theft in the Niger Delta.
Observers say the Navy’s latest haul may strengthen its argument for a more central role in securing the nation’s oil assets, even as more and more communities push for a role in protecting oil facilities within their own borders.