…Alleges False Claim Endangers Directors, Threatens Niger Delta Peace
…Demands Probe, Public Retraction, Prosecution Of Asari-Dokubo
Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL) has petitioned the Department of State Services (DSS) over allegations made by Niger Delta activist, Mujahid Asari-Dokubo, concerning its pipeline surveillance contract with the Federal Government.
In the petition dated October 7, 2026, and obtained by THE WHISTLER, PINL accused Asari-Dokubo of publishing what it described as false and inciting allegations that the company and its directors receive N2.7tn annually from the Federal Government for pipeline surveillance.
The company said the allegation, which Asari-Dokubo reportedly made in a video published on X, Instagram and other social media platforms on October 5, could endanger the lives of its directors and senior management and undermine peace in the Niger Delta.
PINL urged the DSS to investigate the allegation, its sources and sponsors, and take appropriate action if the claims are found to be false.
The company also asked the security agency to invite Asari-Dokubo to substantiate his claims and, if they are established to be false, ensure that he publicly retracts them and is prosecuted in accordance with the law.
According to PINL in the petition signed by the Company Secretary, Chinemerem Ikechi-Eshiet, the video has been widely circulated on social media and community platforms, attracting millions of views and shares.
The company described the alleged N2.7tn annual payment as “false, baseless and malicious,” arguing that the publication had the potential to create resentment within communities in the oil-producing region.
PINL said the allegation was particularly dangerous because it allegedly presented the contract as benefiting certain interests at the expense of the people of the Niger Delta.
The company warned that such narratives could inflame ethnic tensions among Ijaws, Itsekiris, Benin and other ethnic groups in the region.
“Our major concern is that the Respondent’s publication is designed to reverse those gains,” the company stated in the petition.
“By falsely portraying a vast sum of public money as having been diverted from the region, the Respondent is stoking the very grievances that historically fueled militancy in the Niger Delta.”
PINL further linked the controversy to Nigeria’s efforts to sustain crude oil production and reduce pipeline vandalism and crude theft.
The company cited data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, saying crude oil production had recovered from about 1.1 million barrels per day in 2022 to an average of 1.68 million barrels per day of crude oil and condensate in August 2026.
It also stated that crude oil production reached 1.56 million barrels per day in June 2026, which it described as the highest level since April 2020.
According to PINL, Nigeria had also met its OPEC quota for four consecutive months.
The company attributed part of the improvement to its operations in the Niger Delta, particularly in the areas of security, community engagement and efforts to reduce militancy, crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism.
PINL said any reversal of the security gains could have consequences beyond the Niger Delta, arguing that renewed attacks on oil infrastructure could reduce national crude oil output and government revenue.
It stated that “any resurgence of militancy or pipeline vandalism would not be confined to the region.”
“It would cut national crude output and the revenues on which the federal budget depends, and it would undermine the economic stability of the entire country,” the company said.
PINL also raised concerns about the personal security implications of the allegations against its directors and senior management.
It argued that attaching a N2.7tn figure to the company and its directors could make them targets for criminals in a region where kidnapping for ransom and armed robbery remain security concerns.
“By attaching an outrageous and fictitious sum to the names of PINL’s Directors and top management, the Respondent has pointed a target on their backs,” the company alleged.
The firm said the alleged publication could also expose its employees and their families to threats.
Beyond the security implications, PINL argued that the allegations could aggravate ethnic tensions in the Niger Delta, particularly because of the way the claims had been framed and circulated.
The company said the narrative could create the impression that one ethnic group or community had been favoured over others in the distribution of resources from the region.
It warned that such a situation could reopen divisions that had previously contributed to instability in the oil-producing communities.
“With the general elections fast approaching, the region is already politically charged,” PINL stated.
“False narratives of this kind are readily seized upon by persons seeking to inflame sentiment for political ends.”
The company consequently asked the DSS to intervene before the situation escalates into protests, shutdowns or attacks on oil infrastructure.
PINL requested that the DSS engage traditional rulers, community leaders and youth groups in the Niger Delta to forestall any breakdown of law and order.
It also asked the Service to conduct a threat assessment and provide, or facilitate, appropriate protection for the company’s directors, top management, staff and project sites.
The company further urged the DSS to liaise with the Nigeria Police Force and other relevant agencies to monitor and contain any planned protest, shutdown or attack linked to the allegations.
PINL cited Section 2(3) of the National Security Agencies Act, which it said empowers the DSS to prevent and detect crimes against Nigeria’s internal security.