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Tinubu’s Govt Spent ₦17.5tn on Pipeline Security in 12 Months — Atiku Media Office

BySodiq Yusuf

PublishedDecember 1, 2025

The Atiku Media Office has raised alarm over what it described as a “brazen financial scandal” following reports that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) spent ₦17.5 trillion within 12 months on pipeline security and related costs under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

In a press statement issued in Abuja on November 30, 2025, the office compared the expenditure to Nigeria’s historical fuel subsidy spending, which it said amounted to about ₦18 trillion over 12 years.

It argued that the amount recently spent on security and associated charges nearly equals what was used for a programme that directly supported millions of Nigerians through stabilised transport and food prices.

The statement alleged that the funds were channelled through “opaque pipeline security contracts” awarded to private firms linked to individuals close to the Presidency, adding that the development contradicted the Federal Government’s justification for removing fuel subsidy.

“This is not governance. This is grand larceny dressed as public expenditure,” the statement declared.

The media office further claimed that although the Tinubu administration justified the removal of fuel subsidy on the grounds that it was no longer sustainable, NNPCL records allegedly showed continued indirect subsidy payments. According to the statement, ₦7.13 trillion was spent on what was termed “energy-security cost to keep petrol prices stable”, while another ₦8.67 trillion was paid as “under-recovery” within the period under review.

It described the terms “energy-security cost” and “under-recovery” as new expressions allegedly created to mask the continued payment of fuel subsidy, despite official government claims to the contrary.

The statement also raised questions over the sharp increase in expenditure, noting a reported 38.7 per cent rise in energy-related costs from ₦6.25 trillion in 2024 to ₦8.67 trillion in 2025. It questioned why pipeline security would now cost more than a decade-long subsidy regime that served over 200 million Nigerians.

Among the demands made by the Atiku Media Office were the immediate publication of the names of all companies that received the contracts, disclosure of contract details and deliverables, an independent forensic audit of the entire ₦17.5 trillion expenditure, and the suspension of further disbursements pending accountability.

The statement accused the Federal Government of presiding over worsening economic conditions, including inflation, high fuel prices in excess of ₦1,000 per litre in some parts of the country, currency depreciation and widespread hunger, while a “privileged cartel” allegedly benefited from public funds.

“This ₦17.5 trillion pipeline-security expenditure is not merely a financial anomaly — it is a moral indictment and a clarion call for full accountability,” the statement added.

As of the time of filing this report, no official response had been issued by the Presidency or the NNPCL regarding the allegations.

Sodiq Yusuf

Sodiq Yusuf is a trained media practitioner and journalist with considerable years of experience in print, broadcast, and digital journalism. His interests cover a wide range of causes in politics, governance, sports, community development, and good governance.