The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the AGIP Indigenous Contractors Association and 43 others against the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) over the award of a pipeline surveillance contract.

The contractors had challenged the deal awarded to Tantita Security Services Limited, a firm owned by former Niger Delta militant Tompolo, arguing that NNPCL unlawfully excluded them from the bidding process. They claimed the company violated the Nigerian Oil and Gas Content Development Act by sidelining indigenous contractors from oil-producing communities.

Justice Mohammed Umar struck out the case on Thursday, ruling that the applicants had no legal grounds (locus standi) to bring the matter before the court. He described them as “meddlesome interlopers” with no stake in the contract, adding that the court lacked jurisdiction to continue hearing the suit.

NNPCL, in its defense, denied the allegations and maintained that Tantita and other security contractors had delivered results, pointing to a rise in crude oil production and several successful clampdowns on oil theft, including the dismantling of illegal refineries and arrest of vessels involved in crude smuggling.

The court’s decision reinforces NNPCL’s stance as it continues its fight against crude oil theft in the Niger Delta, where thousands of barrels of oil are lost daily to sabotage and illegal refining.