HOSCON Accuses NNPCL Cabals of Sabotaging Tantita Operations

–         Urges president to intervene over four‑month salary delay

Sylvester Idowu in Warri 

The leadership of the Host Communities of Nigeria Producing Oil and Gas (HOSCON) has alleged that certain influential groups within the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) are deliberately hindering the operations of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited (TSSNL).

The group claims that these actions have resulted in a four‑month delay in salaries for TSSNL staff and subcontractors, warning that the situation could spark industrial unrest and undermine efforts to protect Nigeria’s oil and gas assets.

HOSCON submitted a petition to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on 20 June 2026. The petition, signed by His Royal Majesty Obukowho Monday Whiskey, Udurhie I, Ovie of Idjerhe Kingdom and Chairman of the HOSCON Traditional Rulers and Elders Advisory Council of Nigeria, warned of the consequences of obstructing TSSNL’s operations in the Niger Delta.

The group stated that “influential cabals” within NNPCL are deliberately delaying payments for services already rendered to Tantita Security.

It said the prolonged salary delay has caused widespread dissatisfaction among workers and subcontractors, with reports of threats to undertake industrial action if the issue is not urgently addressed.

HOSCON claimed that intelligence suggests individuals who previously profited from crude oil theft are now adopting new tactics to weaken Tantita Security by depriving the company of operational funding after their illegal bunkering activities in the Niger Delta have ceased.

The organization described the alleged move as a calculated attempt to destabilise pipeline surveillance operations, stressing that the sacrifices made by Tantita Security in combating crude oil theft should not be undermined by vested interests.

It appealed to President Tinubu to investigate the allegations immediately and ensure prompt payment to avert a looming crisis in the oil‑producing region.

The HOSCON leaders praised Tantita Security for its professionalism and effectiveness in protecting critical oil infrastructure, noting that environmental degradation and crude oil theft have significantly decreased since the company’s engagement.

They warned that any attempt to reverse the progress made in securing oil facilities and restoring the Niger Delta environment would be strongly resisted by host communities.

The petition further urged the federal government to give pipeline surveillance operations greater priority in national budgetary allocations, arguing that assignments of such strategic national importance should not be subject to bureaucratic delays or the influence of vested interests.

HOSCON maintained it would continue to expose any actions that could frustrate the success of the pipeline surveillance initiative, while calling on NNPCL management and all patriotic Nigerians to support organisations working to protect the nation’s oil and gas assets.

The petition read: “We the leadership of the Host Communities of Nigeria (HOSCON) Producing Oil & Gas write to specifically draw your attention to a well‑planned and orchestrated plot by some influential cabals at the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Ltd to deliberately cause disorder in the Niger Delta.”

“Our intelligence from highly placed sources both in Abuja and across the Niger Delta is that since the oil cabals/bunkerers can no longer have their way in stealing crude oil in the region they have perfected a new approach by deliberately starving the authorities of the hardworking Tantita Security Nigeria Limited of regular funding and thus creating unnecessary salary delays and other operational activities being carried out in the day‑to‑day activities of the oil pipeline security giant.”

“As a result, staff and subcontractors of the organization have not been paid for almost four months running, thereby causing grumbling and threats to down tools by workers,” it added.

“HOSCON strongly condemns the alleged new plots, expressing the belief that it cannot be true as a result of the sacrifices/risk that the authorities of TSSNL have taken to get to where they are will be made useless by some selfish cabals who do not mean for our country.”

“We trust that as a father of the nation, this finding by the leadership of the oil and gas production communities in the country will be given very serious attention, as delaying actions could be an invitation to avoidable crisis.”

“No interest of individuals or groups can be more important than that of the entire country. The leadership of The Host Communities of Nigeria (HOSCON) Producing Oil & Gas will keep exposing all the underhand work against the success of this all‑important project.”