The Niger Delta Progressive Volunteers for National Building and Ownership (NPVNBO) has commended Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited for its role in curbing crude oil theft in the Niger Delta, saying Nigeria is gradually recovering billions of dollars previously lost to illegal oil activities.
In a statement issued by the group, NPVNBO said Nigeria once faced one of its worst oil theft crises, alleging that criminals were siphoning more than 1.3 million barrels of crude oil daily while the country’s official production plunged to between 700,000 and 400,000 barrels per day.
The group noted that the development resulted in massive revenue losses running into billions of dollars annually, placing Africa’s largest oil producer under severe economic strain.
According to the statement, the situation began to improve after the Federal Government awarded a pipeline surveillance contract in August 2022 to Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, a firm led by High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo.
Highlighting the scale of enforcement since the contract was awarded, the group said Tantita had uncovered more than 702 illegal pipeline connections and 1,784 illegal refinery sites used to process stolen crude across the Niger Delta.
It added that the crackdown led to the dismantling of over 3,000 illegal refining facilities and the seizure of numerous assets used in the illicit trade, including vessels, barges, vehicles, tanker trucks, speedboats and about 1,743 wooden boats believed to have been used to transport stolen crude through the creeks.
NPVNBO further stated that between August 2022 and November 2024 alone, security teams recorded 3,963 incidents linked to oil theft operations, exposing what it described as a vast and organised black-market oil economy operating in the region.
The group said intensified enforcement significantly reduced oil theft, noting that between 2022 and 2023 the volume of stolen crude declined by about 79 per cent, while key pipelines previously plagued by repeated vandalism returned to operation.
It said Nigeria’s crude oil production, which had dropped to about 1.015 million barrels per day in September 2022, rose to about 1.7 million barrels per day by November 2024 and further increased to approximately 1.8 million barrels per day by July 2025, surpassing the country’s production quota set by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
The group also noted that crude oil losses dropped sharply, stating that by mid-2025 losses had fallen to around 9,600 barrels per day — the lowest level recorded since 2009.
“At an average oil price of about $73 per barrel, Nigeria has moved from losing over $51 million daily to losing less than $1 million per day,” the statement said, adding that this means the country is now preserving about $50 million every day that would otherwise have been lost to oil theft.
According to the group, industry stakeholders have attributed the improvement to enhanced surveillance measures, including the deployment of hybrid drones to monitor pipelines in difficult terrain, as well as a community-based approach that encourages collaboration with residents of oil-producing communities.
NPVNBO, however, noted that the fight against crude oil theft has come with sacrifices, saying several security operatives have reportedly lost their lives while confronting heavily armed criminal groups involved in illegal refining and crude oil smuggling.
The group said the progress recorded so far represents a major turning point for Nigeria’s oil sector, adding that improved pipeline security is gradually restoring investor confidence and strengthening government revenue from crude oil exports.
