Niger Delta Activist Differ With Asari Dokubo Over Pipeline Contract Sum

A Niger Delta activist and investigative journalist, Fejiro Oliver, has disputed claims that Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL), led by managing director Osahon Okunbo, earns N2.7 trillion annually from its pipeline surveillance contract, saying the company receives slightly above N250 billion yearly.

Oliver made the clarification on Tuesday during a press briefing, where he accused former Niger Delta militant leader, Asari Dokubo, of misrepresenting the value of PINL’s contract and diverting attention from the original demand for a fairer distribution of pipeline surveillance contracts across the Niger Delta.

Oliver, who leads the Guard Your Pipeline and I Guard My Own Movement, said the campaign began in March, 2026 to advocate the decentralisation of pipeline surveillance contracts and ensure that communities across the oil-producing region benefited directly from the arrangements.

He said the movement had attracted national attention, prompting the National Assembly to convene an emergency town hall meeting to deliberate on the concerns raised by the group.

According to him, the campaign was never intended to promote ethnic interests but to ensure that pipeline surveillance contracts were distributed more equitably among capable stakeholders and communities in the Niger Delta.

Oliver said his initial objection centred on the concentration of surveillance contracts in the hands of a few contractors.

He argued that communities across the region should have opportunities to participate in protecting pipelines located within their territories, citing provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act as part of the basis for his position.

However, he expressed concern that the campaign was being misrepresented following recent claims about PINL’s earnings.

Oliver said Dokubo had previously supported the campaign for decentralisation and had publicly praised PINL, its management, the Olu of Warri and the company’s late founder, Captain Nosa, for what he described as their inclusive approach to pipeline surveillance in the Eastern corridor.

Oliver said he was therefore surprised by Dokubo’s alleged claim that PINL received N2.7 trillion annually, insisting that the figure was not contained in his own disclosures.

“As the originator of the Guard Your Pipeline and I Guard My Own Movement, I find it disturbing that my intentions are being misdirected,” Oliver said.

“For the avoidance of doubt, PINL gets a little over N250 billion annually, which is a far cry from even the N2.7 trillion,” he said.

Oliver accused those promoting the N2.7 trillion figure of misleading the public and warned against using the campaign for what he described as an attempt to take over the Eastern corridor contract.

He said his movement would not support what he considered an unfair attempt to displace PINL through claims that did not reflect the company’s actual earnings.

The activist further argued that the Eastern corridor, handled by PINL under Okunbo’s leadership and with the Olu of Warri as chairman, already provided opportunities for Itsekiri and Edo interests.

He maintained that other ethnic groups and communities in the Niger Delta, including the Urhobo, Isoko, Ilaje, Opobo, Bakassi, Ibibio, Efik and Ogoni, should be prioritised in discussions about expanding direct participation in pipeline surveillance contracts.

According to Oliver, these groups should be seeking opportunities to benefit from the arrangements rather than attempting to take over contracts already awarded to other stakeholders.