A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has dismissed a suit seeking to halt the renewal and restructuring of Nigeria’s oil pipeline surveillance contract awarded to Tantita Security Services Nigeria Ltd and other firms.

The decision followed an ex parte motion marked FCT/HC/M/4534/2026, filed by the Registered Trustees of the Peoples Wellbeing Association.

In his ruling, Justice Bello Kawu declined the reliefs sought by the claimant, instead granting an accelerated hearing of the substantive motion on notice, which has been fixed for April 21, 2026.

The court also ordered the applicants to issue and serve all originating and other relevant processes on the 4th, 5th, and 6th defendants outside its jurisdiction.

Listed as defendants in the suit are the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Tantita Security Services Nigeria Ltd, Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited, and Abokus Integrated Security Services Ltd.

In the ex parte application, the claimants had sought, among other reliefs, an interim injunction restraining the AGF and NNPCL from further renewing the multi-billion-dollar pipeline surveillance contracts awarded to the private security firms, pending the determination of the motion on notice.

They also urged the court to compel the Federal Government to immediately restructure the pipeline surveillance framework and direct constitutionally empowered security agencies to take over the protection of oil pipelines nationwide, particularly in the Niger Delta.

The applicants further requested that these agencies be mandated to supervise the activities of private security contractors involved in pipeline protection pending the determination of the suit.

However, Justice Kawu refused the requests, warning that granting such reliefs could be detrimental to national economic stability.

He noted that halting the contracts could create a security vacuum, potentially leading to increased oil theft and substantial revenue losses for the country.

The court emphasized that pipeline security is critical to Nigeria’s economic survival and constitutes an overriding public interest.

According to the judge, “no court of law should grant an order capable of plunging the nation into economic crisis.”

Consequently, the court held that the Federal Government and NNPCL are at liberty to proceed with the renewal of the pipeline surveillance contracts.

It further directed that all parties currently involved in pipeline surveillance operations, including Tantita Security Services Nigeria Ltd and Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited, should continue to discharge their responsibilities in the national interest pending the determination of the substantive suit.