A fresh controversy over the lucrative contracts for protecting Nigeria’s oil pipelines has erupted in the Niger Delta, with former militant leader Asari Dokubo questioning why Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, continues to attract criticism over pipeline surveillance while other beneficiaries allegedly receive far larger sums.
In a video circulating online, Dokubo made a series of explosive allegations involving the Olu of Warri, Osahon Idahosa and other individuals he claimed are benefiting from pipeline protection contracts worth billions of naira.
At the centre of his argument is a question that he believes deserves a public answer: if pipeline surveillance contracts are legitimate, why should Tompolo be singled out for criticism when, according to him, others are allegedly receiving much more?
Dokubo alleged that the Olu of Warri and Osahon Idahosa receive about ₦2.7 trillion annually for pipeline protection.
The claim could not be independently verified from the information available in the report, but Dokubo used it to challenge what he described as selective outrage over Niger Delta pipeline surveillance contracts.
‘Why Call Out Tompolo?’
Dokubo appeared particularly aggrieved by criticism directed at Tompolo, a former militant leader whose company has been involved in pipeline surveillance.
Rather than defend Tompolo solely on the basis of his own record, Dokubo shifted attention to other alleged beneficiaries.
“So, because I am fighting for freedom, the Olu of Warri can do a contract and have money, but Tompolo cannot do the contract and have his own money. I cannot do it,” he said.
He then asked why the alleged payments to the Olu of Warri and Osahon had not generated the same level of public scrutiny.
“You are talking about Tompolo. What of the Olu of Warri and Osahon, son of Captain Osa, who are collecting N2.7 trillion annually for guarding pipelines? Why did you call them out?” Dokubo asked.
His comments have thrown another layer of controversy into an already sensitive debate over who gets to protect Nigeria’s oil infrastructure, who gets paid for doing so and where the money ultimately goes.
The Niger Delta Money Question
For Dokubo, the argument goes beyond Tompolo.
He maintained that pipeline surveillance contracts operating in the Niger Delta should primarily benefit people and businesses from the region where the oil infrastructure is located.
He argued that when such contracts are awarded to individuals or companies from outside the Niger Delta, the money generated should not automatically be regarded as wealth belonging to the region.
“When Arthur Eze takes that contract, it is not Niger Delta money; it is Arthur Eze’s money,” Dokubo said.
His position reflects a longstanding and politically sensitive argument in the oil-producing region: who should benefit financially from the resources extracted from the Niger Delta?
‘I’m Not In That Contract’
Dokubo also attempted to distance himself from the pipeline surveillance arrangements while making his allegations.
“I’m not in that contract,” he said, while insisting that his criticism was rooted in what he described as unequal treatment of individuals involved in pipeline protection.
He also said the issue should not be reduced to ethnic rivalry, arguing that his concerns were about who receives contracts and who ultimately controls the financial benefits attached to them.
A New Claim About A Vessel
Dokubo did not stop at pipeline surveillance contracts.
He also alleged that he recently saw a vessel operating in Nigerian waters bearing the initials “OUK”, which he linked to former Abia State Governor, Orji Uzor Kalu.
“Yesterday, I saw a vessel. On it was written ‘OUK’, Orji Uzor Kalu, operating in our waters,” he alleged.
The claim was presented by Dokubo as another example of what he sees as the involvement of prominent individuals in commercial activities connected to Nigeria’s waterways and oil economy.
The Bigger Question
Beyond the personalities involved, Dokubo’s intervention raises a broader question about Nigeria’s pipeline surveillance system.
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Pipeline protection has become a major issue in the country’s oil sector, particularly because of the persistent problems of oil theft, vandalism and attacks on petroleum infrastructure.
The contracts awarded to private entities and individuals have therefore attracted considerable public interest, especially when large sums of public money are involved.
Dokubo’s latest comments have now added a new dimension to that debate.
His central argument is straightforward but explosive: if Tompolo is being questioned over the money attached to pipeline surveillance, then everyone else allegedly benefiting from similar arrangements should face the same scrutiny.
Whether the figures he cited withstand independent verification, however, remains a separate question.
For now, his intervention has reopened an uncomfortable conversation about oil money, pipeline security, regional ownership and the powerful interests operating around Nigeria’s most valuable natural resource.