By Gabriel Ameh
ABUJA — Human rights lawyer and activist Deji Adeyanju has alleged that powerful interests are working against the efforts of former Niger Delta militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, to combat crude-oil theft and environmental pollution in the Niger Delta.
Adeyanju made the claim while reacting to criticisms surrounding the pipeline surveillance contract awarded to Tompolo’s company to safeguard oil facilities across the oil-producing region.
According to the activist, opposition to the surveillance arrangement is largely coming from individuals and groups whose interests have allegedly been affected by efforts to curb illegal crude-oil activities.
He identified three categories of people he believes are particularly uncomfortable with the contract.
The first group, he said, includes some naval officers and individuals involved in oil bunkering, whom he alleged have benefited from the illegal crude-oil trade.
Adeyanju also pointed to former pipeline surveillance contractors who previously held similar responsibilities but were unable to effectively secure the nation’s oil infrastructure.
He noted that during that period, crude-oil production in Nigeria reportedly declined sharply, at one point dropping to about 300,000 barrels per day, largely due to pipeline vandalism and widespread crude-oil theft.
The third category, according to him, consists of individuals he described as “blackmailers” who are allegedly attempting to discredit the surveillance arrangement in order to secure financial benefits from the contract.
Adeyanju further argued that the surveillance operations under Tompolo have disrupted illegal bunkering networks, making those who profit from such activities increasingly resistant to the initiative.
The pipeline surveillance contract has remained a subject of public debate, even as authorities continue efforts to strengthen oil infrastructure protection and boost Nigeria’s crude-oil production.
