Civil Society Coalition Asks Nigerian Government To Stop Using Niger-Delta Militants To Protect Oil Pipelines
The idea of using militants may provoke another round of armed conflict and violence in the oil rich region, the human rights coalition warned on Wedneaday.
A Coalition of civil society organisations has urged President Bola Tinubu-led government to stop the tradition of using armed militants to protect oil pipelines in the Niger-Delta region.
The idea of using militants may provoke another round of armed conflict and violence in the oil rich region, the human rights coalition warned on Wedneaday.
The group urged President Tinubu to be cautious in engaging Niger Delta militants in pipeline protection in the Niger Delta saying they constitute a major threat to the stability of Nigeria.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Civil Society Coalition for Mandate Protection, (CSC-MAP), a coalition of 95 civil society groups spread across Nigeria and the National Coalition of Civil Socierty Groups, (NCCSG) in a joint statement said there are widespread fear that a particular militant in the Niger Delta is using proceeds of pipeline protection to import illicit weapons into the country.
President Tinubu was urged to focus on indigenous professional security companies in the Niger-Delta which are genuinely committed to the protection of oil pipelines instead of funding armed groups that constitute a threat to National Security.
CSC-MAP said the militant has the preconceived plan to divide Nigeria through armed conflict that would start from the Niger-Delta.
“It is not right to fund armed and separatist group that has fought Nigeria and other ethnic groups in the Niger Delta. The leaders of the armed groups were once declared wanted by the Nigerian State. It is wrong to continue to provide resources for them which might empower them to import illicit weapons into Nigeria,” the coalition said.
The group alleged that a particular militant is currently involved in high calibre bribery of top government officials including some members of the National Assembly in order to perpetrate himself and sustain his armed dominion in the Niger-Delta.
The group said it is preparing a letter to the President and to all members of the National Assembly to expose the militant’s crime against Nigerians and the people of the Niger Delta.
The group regretted that a particular militant continues to enjoy the protection of a few armed soldiers with a full truck load of soldiers.
The group also accused a former Governor of Bauchi State for collaborating with the armed militant.
“We have been informed that a militant’s aide, one the militant’s aides is currently in Abuja with loads of money to cover the tracks of the Niger-Delta militant. He is also offering huge sums of money to some corrupt officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company PLC and some corrupt people in the Presidency,” the group said in a statement signed by its President, Okunola Ahmed, and Secretary, Balla Usman Aliu.
The group alleged that the militant’s sibling holds the cash portfolio on behalf of the militant where money is distributed to politicians to influence pipeline protection contracts in his favour and to cover up his crimes in the Niger-Delta.
The coalition also called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) to revisit the trial of Mr Government Ekpemokpolo, alias Tomopolo.
The EFCC was asked to recall the investigation of Chief Government Ekpomokpolo (alias Tompolo) in 2016 for various crimes ranging from corruption to terrorism.
The coalition recalled that in February 2026, the EFCC had declared Ekpemupolo wanted following two bench warrants issued by the Federal High Court in Lagos.
He was charged with N45.9billion fraud.
The EFCC had announced to the whole world that he committed offences of conspiracy, illegal diversion of the sum of N34,000.000.000 and another N11,900,000 belonging to the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety, (NIMASA).
The group recalled that Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court in Lagos had issued a bench warrant against Tompolo on January 14, 2016 after he neglected a dated January 12 summon issued to him by the Honourable Judge.
The group said instead of engaging Tompolo, the Federal Government should engage genuine representatives of the people of the Niger Delta whose lives have on several occasions been allegedly threatened and endangered by Tompolo and his armed groups.
