Contractor Denies Alleged Oil Asset  Sabotage in N’Delta

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

A pipeline surveillance contractor, Abili Integrated Services Limited, which protects a portion of oil assets in the Niger Delta, has denied allegations that its incompetent operations led to oil sabotage in the region.

At a press conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, the company explained that they are reliable and responsible security contractor in the Nigerian oil industry. 

The company disclosed that they were engaged in 2021 by NAOC (now Oando) to provide security for all oil assets operated by them (Oando) in the land areas comprising 12 local government areas in Rivers, Bayelsa, Imo and Delta States.

It explained further that it’s managing director(MD), Brown Edoghotu, was on legitimate duty at an oil spill scene sometime in the past in the region, not to sabotage oil facility but inspect level attack on the asset, and wondered how he was linked to such incident in alleged viral video.

Abili Ltd was reacting to a recent presentations made by Tantita Ltd, a company with the biggest oil protection contract with the federal government, at the National Assembly.

The company said its performance in oil asset protection was clear evidence of the integrity with 96 per cent oil output records. “These are not claims they are verifiable operational results. 

“Note, we do not cover all the land areas, only a portion of it. At Abili Integrated Services Limited, we stand by integrity, performance, and accountability. We believe that results not rhetoric should determine credibility.”

Edoghotu told journalists  that the alleged video Tantita showed had his image in it, thus making him look like an oil vandal. 

He said the Joint Committee on Petroleum Resources of the National Assembly held a Round Table on pipeline security on April 8, 2026.

 “As was clear to everyone, Tantita went to extraordinary lengths to secure its position as the sole contractor for the pipeline surveillance contract,” he said.

Edoghotu said he was not against any Niger Delta son getting contracts from the federal government but that it should not be at Abili’s expense. 

He said: “This involved falsely maligning other operators in the sector, making false claims on its own competence, and failing to disclose the culpability of its officials in the continued vandalism of pipelines and theft of crude oil. 

“We are making this intervention today because our corporate integrity was falsely maligned during the presentation by officials of Tantita Security.”

Edoghotu said it was strange that officials of other companies protecting oil assets were made to look like being those sabotaging oil assets. 

He stressed: “My presence at the scene after the incident was in the course of duty. The incident referenced in the video happened at Oshika in Ahaoda West LGA on September 22, 2022. My team and I visited the scene on the same day. 

“My presence at the scene was part of my responsibility to ensure immediate assessment and swift resolution, to prevent recurrence. I need to emphasise that I was on ground with my team, two representatives of the Nigeria Agip Oil Company, alongside the military personnel, men and officers of the Nigeria Police Force, and members of the Civil Defence Corps, deployed to support our operations.”

He defended that: “As a matter of fact, Mele Kyari, the former MD of NNPC, met our team right there on the scene while we were destroying the camp during one of his site visits.”

He made it clear that the incident under reference was a coordinated and deliberate action to rubbish and damage his integrity, then take his job. “It is noteworthy that the then Central Corridor operator (Eni) appeared to recognise these dynamics and did not act in a manner that supported the alleged intent.”

He decried unethical practices in protecting oil assets in the Niger Delta and urged all oil asset protecting firms to play by the rule and allow others to also win jobs and do their own jobs. 

Edoghotu added: “We challenge them to prove this. When this video first came to my attention, I chose restraint. I believed silence would preserve professionalism and avoid unnecessary conflict within the Niger Delta. However, after consulting respected mutual friends, it became clear that setting the record straight is necessary for the sake of transparency, accountability, and public trust.”