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Security Management and Pipeline Protection in Niger Delta, 2015– 2025

Moses Unwobudu Victor, Chukwunonye Abovu Akujuru PhD, Fortune Ogechi Ojenamah PhD

Abstract

This study examined security management and pipeline protection in the Niger Delta, Nigeria, between 2015 and 2025, with specific focus on the role of private security firms in safeguarding critical oil infrastructure in Rivers, Bayelsa, and Delta States. The persistent failure of conventional security agencies to contain pipeline vandalism, illegal bunkering, crude oil theft, and organized sabotage across the region provided the impetus for this investigation. Anchored on the Routine Activity Theory, which holds that crime occurs when a motivated offender, a suitable target, and the absence of capable guardianship converge, the study adopted a qualitative case study research design. Data were collected through in-depth key informant interviews with fifteen purposively and snowball-selected respondents comprising officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, personnel of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, and management staff of major oil companies operating in the Niger Delta. Thematic content analysis was employed to analyse the data. Findings revealed that private security management, particularly under Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, has significantly strengthened pipeline protection in the Niger Delta through terrain-adapted surveillance, community-based intelligence gathering, proactive threat prevention, and collaboration with conventional security agencies. The study further found that the hybrid security model combining private operational capacity with state enforcement authority represents the most effective institutional response to the structural and environmental security challenges of the Niger Delta. The study concludes that sustained investment in private security partnerships, clear regulatory frameworks, and deepened community engagement are essential to ensuring long-term pipeline security and oil production stability in Nigeria.

References

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