Court Dismisses Suit Against NNPCL Pipeline Contract, Says Plaintiffs Lack Locus Standi

The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a lawsuit challenging the awarding of a pipeline surveillance contract to Tantita Security Services Limited, ruling that the plaintiffs lacked legal standing.

Justice Mohammed Umar struck out the suit filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the AGIP Indigenous Contractors Association and 43 others, describing them as “busybodies” and “meddlesome interlopers” with no locus standi.

The plaintiffs had alleged that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPCL), former CEO Mele Kyari, and other government agencies unlawfully awarded the contract to Tantita, thereby excluding indigenous contractors from Niger Delta oil and gas communities. They argued that NNPCL violated the Nigeria Oil and Gas Content Development Act 2010 by not offering them a fair bidding opportunity.

NNPCL countered, denying the claims as “spurious and baseless,” highlighting Tantita’s role in boosting crude oil production, arresting vessels involved in theft, and dismantling illegal refineries and pipelines.

Justice Umar upheld preliminary objections from NNPCL and other respondents, ruling that the applicants lacked locus standi and had no legal interest in the case.

Tantita, owned by former Niger Delta militant Tompolo, was engaged by NNPCL alongside other firms to curb crude oil theft in the Niger Delta, a major concern after a spike in oil theft incidents earlier in 2024. Between March 30 and April 5, the Niger Delta recorded 155 such incidents, with Rivers, Delta, and Bayelsa states most affected.