TINUBU MOVES TO PULL THE PLUG ON TOMPOLO’S $144 MILLION PIPELINE DEAL — AND THE Niger DELTA IS WATCHING CLOSELY

TINUBU MOVES TO PULL THE PLUG ON TOMPOLO’S $144 MILLION PIPELINE DEAL — AND THE Niger DELTA IS WATCHING CLOSELY. It is a move that nobody saw coming — or maybe everybody did. President Bola Tinubu is reportedly making moves to revoke the $144 million pipeline surveillance contract held by Government Ekpemupolo, better known as Tompolo, the powerful Niger Delta warlord-turned-contractor whose boys have been patrolling the creeks and keeping oil thieves at bay.And if you think this is just a business decision, you need to think again.

Tompolo’s pipeline surveillance contract has been one of the most controversial arrangements in Nigeria’s oil sector. Critics called it a glorified settlement — a way of paying a powerful militant figure to keep the peace in the creeks rather than disrupt oil production. Supporters argued it was pragmatic governance, because before Tompolo’s boys took over, crude oil theft was bleeding Nigeria dry and pipelines were being vandalized like it was a sport.By most accounts, the arrangement worked. Oil production numbers improved. The creeks became relatively calmer. Nigeria’s battered oil revenue got some breathing room.

So why is Tinubu now moving to pull the plug? That is the question every Niger Delta stakeholder, every oil industry watcher, and every Nigerian with sense is asking right now. Is this a cost-cutting move by a government that just admitted it spent zero naira on capital projects despite collecting N1.15 trillion? Is it politics — a signal to the Niger Delta ahead of future elections? Or is there a bigger power play happening behind closed doors that ordinary Nigerians are not yet privy to? Because here is the truth that cannot be ignored — revoking Tompolo’s contract is not simply a business transaction. Tompolo is not just a contractor. He is a symbol of Niger Delta power, a man with deep roots in the creeks, loyal foot soldiers, and a long memory. The last time the Niger Delta felt disrespected and sidelined, Nigeria’s oil infrastructure paid the price in billions of dollars of lost revenue.Tinubu’s handlers must know this. Which makes this reported move either very bold or very reckless — and only time will tell which one it is.

The Niger Delta is watching. The oil market is watching. And Nigerians, already battered by fuel prices and a collapsed naira, cannot afford another crisis in the creeks. Mr. President, this one needs to be handled with extreme care.