Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has asked the Federal Government to open an investigation into the N17.5tn reportedly spent on pipeline protection and related operations within one year, describing the figure as shocking and unacceptable.
In a statement released by his media team on Sunday, Atiku said the spending was larger than Nigeria’s total fuel-subsidy bill for more than a decade, yet lacked transparency and clear justification. He argued that the funds appeared to benefit individuals close to the Presidency rather than Nigerians struggling with rising living costs.
He described the amount as one of the most troubling financial revelations in recent years and accused the administration of President Bola Tinubu of using opaque contract arrangements to disguise the true nature of the expenditure.
According to Atiku, the NNPCL’s audited accounts showed that the spending was broken into three major components: N7.13tn on what was labelled “energy-security costs,” N8.67tn on “under-recovery,” and an additional N8.84tn listed as receivables tied to security-related interventions. He questioned why pipeline surveillance and associated security operations were now consuming nearly the same amount spent on fuel subsidies over 12 years.
He asked the government to name the companies awarded these contracts, list the scope of work, and make the terms of each agreement public. He also pushed for a halt to future spending until an independent forensic audit verifies the use of the funds.
Atiku raised several issues, including the sharp increase in energy-related costs between 2024 and 2025 and the absence of parliamentary oversight reports or audit documents backing such a large expenditure. He noted that Nigerians are dealing with high fuel prices, inflation, and economic uncertainty, making accountability even more urgent.
He also argued that an administration managing such vast unexplained spending cannot reasonably ask citizens to make further sacrifices while basic services and infrastructure remain underfunded.
While pipeline protection is typically necessary to curb crude theft and protect infrastructure, critics say the lack of public disclosure around the contracts has heightened concerns about mismanagement and inflated payments.
Atiku insisted that transparency is essential for restoring public trust, adding that Nigerians deserve full clarity on how the N17.5tn was used and who benefited.
