The Federal High Court Abuja on Thursday quashed a pipeline surveillance security contract bidding process suit filed against the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPCL), Mr. Mele Kyari, former NNPCL CEO, and others by the Incorporated Trustees of the AGIP Indigenous Contractors Association and 43 others.
Justice Mohammed Umar struck out the case, describing the applicants as “busybodies” and “meddlesome interlopers” who lacked the legal right (locus standi) to commence the suit.
Naijaonpoint previously reported that AGIP had alleged that the NNPCL and other relevant authorities unlawfully awarded a pipeline surveillance security contract to Tantita Security Services Limited in the oil-rich Niger Delta.
AGIP contractors, who identified themselves in court as the apex organisation representing the interests of indigenous contractors from oil and gas-producing communities in the Niger Delta, had sued the NNPCL, Kyari, the Attorney General of the Federation, the Ministry of Defense, and others, alleging an unlawful bidding process regarding the awarded pipeline surveillance security contract to Tantita.
“NNPCL is a private limited liability company that is duty-bound to implement the provisions of the Nigeria Oil and Gas Content Development Act 2010 to the benefit of the plaintiffs,” the plaintiffs argued.
In the NNPCL counter-affidavit, the company denied the plaintiffs’ allegations of awarding the surveillance contract to their “cronies,” describing the claims as “spurious and baseless.”
Passing his verdict on Thursday, Presiding Justice Umar found that the applicants, numbering up to 43, lack the legal right (locus standi) to institute the action.
“Finally, I am of the view that the 1st to 43rd applicants have not convinced this court that they possess the locus standi or the cause of action to institute this suit, and the Court lacks the jurisdiction to continue to hear this suit,” he said.
NNPCL Limited had engaged Tantita Security Services Limited and other third-party security firms to help in the fight against crude oil theft in the country.
Naijaonpoint reports that Tantita Security Services is owned by former Niger Delta militant Tompolo.
The suit comes amid NNPCL’s fight against oil theft.
In 2024, the NNPCL announced the arrest of a tugboat loaded with an unspecified quantity of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (Diesel) along the coastal area of Rivers State on April 1, 2024.
The oil giant announced the arrest during its weekly “Energy and You” program, stating that five personnel manning the boat were being interrogated by relevant security agencies.
The arrest of the vessel was just one of 155 incidents of crude oil theft recorded in the Niger Delta region between March 30 and April 5, 2024.
According to the report, Rivers, Delta, and Bayelsa states recorded the most crude oil theft incidents during that week. During the period, 38 suspects were arrested on allegations of crude oil theft and sabotage.