Atiku Demands Probe of N17.5tn Pipeline Security Spending

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has faulted the administration of President Bola Tinubu over what he described as an outrageous expenditure of N17.5tn on pipeline security and related costs within one year, calling for a full investigation into the spending.

In a statement released on Sunday by the Atiku Media Office, the former Vice President said the figure surpasses Nigeria’s total fuel subsidy payments for 12 years, alleging that the contracts largely favour individuals linked to the Presidency.

“The report that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited spent a humongous N17.5tn in just 12 months on ‘securing fuel pipelines and others’ stands as one of the most brazen financial scandals in our nation’s history,” Atiku said.

He compared the expenditure with the N18tn reportedly spent on subsidy over more than a decade, arguing that the former supported millions of citizens by cushioning transport and food prices.

According to Atiku, “under President Bola Tinubu, the country has now expended nearly the same amount in a single year on opaque pipeline security contracts awarded to private firms tied to associates and cronies of the President.”

The statement described the spending pattern as reckless, accusing the Federal Government of scrapping fuel subsidy only to divert huge funds to vaguely defined “energy-security” and “under-recovery” items.

“In some places, a litre of Premium Motor Spirit now costs over N1,000. Yet, according to NNPCL records, the administration spent N7.13tn on ‘energy-security costs’ to stabilise petrol prices and another N8.67tn on ‘under-recovery,’” the statement said.

It further alleged that the expenditure categories are deliberately vague and conceal who benefits from the transactions.

Atiku urged the Federal Government to publish the names of companies that received the pipeline security contracts, the details of each assignment, and the deliverables attached to the projects. 

He also demanded that the N17.5tn spending be subjected to an independent forensic audit and called for a suspension of further releases until due process is established.

He posed additional questions to the government, including what accounts for the 38.7 per cent increase in energy costs from N6.25tn in 2024 to N8.67tn in 2025, the rationale behind pipeline protection costs overtaking a decade-long subsidy programme that served millions, and the whereabouts of audit reports or parliamentary oversight findings.

Atiku said any administration that manages public finances in such a manner lacks the moral right to demand sacrifices from citizens bearing the pains of inflation, rising fuel costs, currency instability and widespread hunger.

He added, “Nigerians deserve transparency, not deceit. They deserve leadership, not cronyism. And they deserve a government that places national interest above private enrichment. N17.5tn pipeline-security expenditure is not merely a financial anomaly, it is a moral indictment on the Tinubu administration and a clarion call for full accountability.”