In order to protect installations and combat rampant theft, the Nigerian state oil company has hired a company owned by former militant Tompolo, whose movement’s attacks on facilities in the early 2000s crippled oil production.
The theft and pipeline sabotage that have reduced Nigeria’s oil exports by almost 500,000 barrels per day, to 1.4 million bpd, led to the awarding of five security contracts.
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), which conducted frequent attacks until a government amnesty program gave some militants contracts to guard oil installations, was once led by Tompolo, whose real name is Government Ekpemupolo.
Attacks started up again in 2016 not long after Tompolo’s arrest warrant was issued by the government on corruption-related charges.
Pipelines in the states of Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Ondo, and Imo will be protected, according to Paul Ebbenimibo, a spokesman for Tompolo.
Ebbenimibo said that Tompolo told others in the region to stop stealing from the pipelines and accept security jobs to enable the economy in the region to bounce back.
The contracts were confirmed by a NNPC source, but the state oil company declined to comment when contacted by Reuters. Imo, Delta, and Bayelsa state spokesmen said they were aware of the contracts but were unsure of their specifics. Ondo and Edo spokesman declined to comment.
Ebbenimibo identified the firms as Tompolo-owned Global West, Ocean Marine Solutions, Labrador Security Outfit, Asari Dokubo, and a fifth, unnamed firm.
