Amanyanabo of the Source Questions Pipeline Contracts, Names Olu of Warri and Osahon Idahosa
His Majesty, Alhaji Mujahid Abubakr Dokubo-Asari, Dabaye Amakiri I, Amanyanabo of the Source, Elem Kalabari (Torusarama-Piri), has questioned the distribution and value of pipeline surveillance contracts in the Niger Delta, alleging that the Olu of Warri and businessman Osahon Idahosa are beneficiaries of contracts worth about ₦2.7 trillion annually.
Dokubo-Asari made the claims in a video circulating online while responding to criticism of former Niger Delta militant leader Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, over his involvement in pipeline surveillance.
The traditional ruler argued that criticism directed at Tompolo should also be extended to other individuals whom he alleged were benefiting from pipeline-security arrangements.
“You are talking about Tompolo. What of the Olu of Warri and Osahon, son of Captain Osa, who are collecting ₦2.7 trillion annually for guarding pipelines? Why did you call them out?” Dokubo-Asari said.
He subsequently repeated the figure, stressing that the alleged amount was an annual payment.
“They are collecting ₦2.7 trillion a year. You are calling Tompolo, who is collecting less. I’m not in that contract,” he said.
Dokubo says Tompolo receives less
Dokubo-Asari’s intervention centred largely on what he described as unequal scrutiny of people involved in pipeline surveillance.
He defended Tompolo against criticism, saying the amount allegedly received by Tompolo was significantly lower than the figure he attributed to the Olu of Warri and Osahon Idahosa.
Tompolo’s Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited has indeed been involved in a major Federal Government pipeline-surveillance arrangement.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited awarded Tantita a pipeline surveillance contract in 2022. Reporting in 2026 puts the contract at approximately ₦4 billion monthly, covering parts of Delta, Ondo, Imo, Rivers and Bayelsa states.
Other reporting has put the annual value of the arrangement at approximately ₦48 billion. Calls for a forensic audit of the contract have also been made by civil-society groups, while other Niger Delta stakeholders have defended its continuation.
Olu of Warri and Osahon Idahosa claims
Dokubo-Asari specifically mentioned the Olu of Warri and Osahon Idahosa in his allegations.
Recent reporting identifies Idahosa as the son of the late businessman Captain Hosa Okunbo and brother-in-law to the Olu of Warri. One report published on October 6 described Dokubo-Asari as alleging that Idahosa and the monarch were connected to the alleged ₦2.7 trillion annual pipeline contract.
However, the ₦2.7 trillion figure has not been independently established by publicly available contract documents or payment records reviewed by IBN News.
A report by TheNigeriaLawyer also expressly noted that Dokubo-Asari provided no documentary evidence for the figure and that the people he named had not publicly responded at the time of publication.
Dokubo raises Arthur Eze and Orji Uzor Kalu
The Amanyanabo also questioned the involvement of businessmen from outside the Niger Delta in contracts connected to oil infrastructure in the region.
He referenced businessman Arthur Eze, arguing that if Eze obtained such a contract, the resulting financial benefit would belong to him rather than the Niger Delta communities.
Dokubo-Asari also claimed that he saw a vessel operating in Nigerian waters bearing the initials “OUK”, which he associated with former Abia State Governor Orji Uzor Kalu.
“Yesterday, I saw a vessel. On it was written ‘OUK’, Orji Uzor Kalu, operating in our waters,” he alleged.
IBN News has not independently established the ownership of the vessel referred to by Dokubo-Asari or established a connection between the vessel and a pipeline surveillance contract.
Pipeline surveillance remains controversial
The controversy comes against the backdrop of continuing debate over Nigeria’s use of private security companies and former Niger Delta militants to protect oil pipelines and other critical infrastructure.
Supporters of the existing arrangements have argued that the contracts have contributed to efforts to combat crude-oil theft and pipeline vandalism.
In April 2026, Niger Delta stakeholders rejected calls to decentralise Tantita’s pipeline surveillance contract, arguing that changing the existing structure could undermine security gains in the region.
Another advocacy group, however, called for a forensic audit of the contract and argued that host communities should have a greater role in the arrangement.
The competing positions reflect the wider debate over transparency, accountability, security and the distribution of economic benefits from oil-producing areas.
A monarch at the centre of the latest debate
Dokubo-Asari is now formally recognised as a traditional ruler.
The Rivers State Government presented him with a staff of office in December 2024, recognising him as the Amanyanabo of Torusarama-Piri in Degema Local Government Area.
More recently, preparations have begun for his December 19, 2026 Se Diye and coronation ceremonies as Amanyanabo of the Source, Elem Kalabari (Torusarama-Piri), Dabaye Amakiri I.
A 16-unit Coronation Central Planning Committee was inaugurated on October 3, with responsibilities covering media and publicity, culture and coronation, transport and logistics, external relations, security, finance, protocol, accommodation, boat regatta, Kalabari dancing, medical services and other areas.
His latest comments on pipeline surveillance therefore come at a period when he is simultaneously playing a prominent role within the traditional institution of the Kalabari people.
What remains unverified
The ₦2.7 trillion annual payment allegation remains Dokubo-Asari’s claim.
IBN News has not found publicly available documentary evidence establishing that the Olu of Warri, Osahon Idahosa or any other person named by the monarch receives ₦2.7 trillion annually for pipeline surveillance.
Likewise, the claim concerning the “OUK” vessel has not been independently verified.
The documented record does establish that substantial pipeline-surveillance contracts exist, including the reported ₦48 billion annual arrangement involving Tantita Security Services.
The latest allegations therefore raise questions about the number of contractors, the value of individual contracts, the identities of beneficiaries, the geographical coverage of surveillance operations and the transparency of payments.
The persons and organisations named in Dokubo-Asari’s allegations have not, in the reports reviewed by IBN News, provided a public response to the specific ₦2.7 trillion claim.
IBN News will continue to monitor the controversy and any response from the Federal Government, NNPC, the Olu of Warri, Osahon Idahosa, Tompolo or other parties named in the allegations.
