BREAKING: Petition to End Pipeline Contracts to Tompolo’s Tantita, Maton Engineering goes Viral

A petition demanding the termination of pipeline surveillance contracts awarded to companies linked to prominent private operators has gone viral, igniting fresh controversy over the management of Nigeria’s oil and gas security architecture.

The online petition calls on the Federal Government to cancel pipeline surveillance contracts currently handled by Tantita Security Services, Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL), and Maton Engineering Nigeria Limited. Tantita is linked to former Niger Delta militant leader Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo while Maton Engineering is linked to Mathew Tonlagha.

POLITICS NIGERIA learned that since it surfaced online, the petition has attracted growing public support, with signatories accusing the government of concentrating lucrative security contracts in the hands of a few politically connected firms while oil-producing communities remain impoverished and marginalised. The Petition  has since gained over 200 signatures.

According to the petitioners, pipeline surveillance, a critical task aimed at curbing crude oil theft and vandalism, should be decentralised and handed over to host communities along pipeline routes. They argue that community-based surveillance would not only improve security outcomes but also create jobs and ensure that oil wealth benefits local residents directly.

The petition alleges that the current arrangement has enabled private contractors to amass enormous wealth from public funds without delivering proportional socio-economic benefits to communities in the Niger Delta, where most of the pipelines are located.

Supporters of the campaign insist that people living in pipeline host communities understand the terrain better and have the strongest incentive to protect infrastructure that affects their livelihoods. They contend that empowering locals would reduce sabotage, curb oil theft, and address long-standing grievances over exclusion from oil-related opportunities.

The viral petition has further fuelled debate on social media, with many Nigerians questioning the transparency, accountability, and equity of pipeline surveillance contracts under successive administrations. Some commentators have also raised concerns about the growing reliance on private security outfits for strategic national assets.

As public attention continues to mount, pressure is building on the Federal Government to respond to the demands and clarify whether it intends to review or restructure the pipeline surveillance framework in line with calls for greater community participation.

So far, none of the companies named in the petition has issued an official response to the allegations, while government authorities are yet to comment on the growing online campaign.