JUSTICE Bello Kawu of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has declined the request of the Registered Trustees of Peoples Wellbeing Association to stop the renewal and restructure of the country’s pipeline surveillance contract awarded to Tantita Security Services Nigeria Ltd and others.

Declining the request while ruling in an exparte motion, marked M/4534/2026, filed and argued by the claimants, Justice Kawu granted an accelerated hearing of the motion on notice fixed for April 21.

The judge then ordered the claimants to issue and serve the originating processes and any other processes in the suit on the 4th, 5th and 6th defendants, outside the jurisdiction of the court.

The Registered Trustees of Peoples Wellbeing Association had in the exparte application dragged the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF); Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL); Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC); Tantita Security Services Nigeria Ltd; Pipeline Infrastructure Limited and Abokus Integrated Security Services Ltd before the court.

The claimants had sought, among other reliefs, an order of interim injunction restraining the AGF and NNPCL from further renewing the pipeline surveillance contract awarded to Tantita Security Services Ltd, Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited and Abokus Integrated Security Services Ltd, which they claimed worth billions of dollars, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

They further sought an interim order mandating and directing the Federal Government to forthwith restructure the entire oil pipeline surveillance contract and direct all relevant security agencies that are constitutionally vested with powers and duty to provide such security protection of oil pipeline in Nigeria, to immediately take over the coordination of security of all national oil pipelines in the Niger-Delta, monitor and supervise the activities of all other private security establishments, such asTantita Security Services Nigeria Ltd; Pipeline Infrastructure Limited and Abokus Integrated Security Services Ltd, which are the 4th, 5th and 6th defendants in the matter, pending the hearing and of the motion on notice.

In the enroll order, dated April 2, sighted by journalists on Monday, Justice Kawu declined the reliefs sought by the claimants and granted an accelerated hearing of the main suit.

The judge held that granting such reliefs would be inimical to national economic stability, noting that granting such reliefs is capable of creating a vacuum that could trigger increase in oil theft and significant revenue losses.

According to him, pipeline security remained central to Nigeria’s economic survival and was a matter of overriding public interest.

Justice Kawu held that, “No court of law should grant an order capable of plunging the nation into economic crisis.”

The court further held that the Federal Government and NNPCL are at liberty to proceed with the renewal of the pipeline surveillance contract and must ensure that there is no operational vacuum pending the determination of the substantive suit.

It consequently ordered that all parties involved in the surveillance operations, including Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited and Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited and Abokus Integrated Security Services Ltd, should continue discharging their responsibilities in the national interest.

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