House of Reps Panel Throws Out Petition Against PINL, Okunbo Says Petitioners Brought No Proof

A subcommittee of the House of Representatives has found no evidence to support the allegations against Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL) and its Managing Director, Dr. Osahon Okunbo. It has recommended that the petition against them be thrown out.

The subcommittee works under the House Committee on Host Communities, which is chaired by Rt Hon. Dunmene Dekor. It was set up to look into a petition by the Niger Delta Oil-Producing Communities Reform Movement (ND-OCRIM). The petition was dated 5 September 2026 and attacked PINL’s pipeline surveillance contract.

The petitioners made five claims. They said the contract was not properly carried out. They said contract funds were mismanaged. They asked for a forensic review of PINL’s finances. They said the Managing Director spent money on personal matters. They also said the welfare of the surveillance workers was neglected.

ND-OCRIM was invited three times, on 14 September, 22 September and 5 October 2026. The group did not turn up on any of those days. It sent nobody in its place, gave no reason for its absence and brought no evidence. No other stakeholder appeared at the hearings either.

PINL did appear. Its representative submitted a written document titled “The Impact of PINL Operations on Oil Production and Stability of the Niger Delta”. The document included photographs with location tags as proof. Nobody challenged it. The subcommittee held its final sitting on 7 October 2026.

The records before the panel showed how bad things were before PINL came in. By May 2022, 97 out of every 100 barrels of crude pumped into the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP) were being lost. Force majeure had been declared, and national oil output had dropped below 900,000 barrels per day.

The subcommittee commended PINL for what it described as a remarkable turnaround in the protection of the pipeline. PINL was engaged in August 2022, and the records before the panel show that it now works in all 215 host communities. It employs more than 35,600 surveillance guards, backed by 28 forward bases, 130 boats, 175 vehicles, 25 drones and 454 personnel from government security agencies.

The subcommittee acknowledged the results as big. The share of crude reaching the Bonny Terminal through the TNP rose from 3 per cent in May 2022 to 98 per cent in September 2026. The OML 11 field was restarted within 90 days after being shut in for 18 months. The uncontested records before the panel also show that 2,049 illegal connections were fixed and 1,010 illegal refinery clusters destroyed.

The subcommittee also praised PINL’s work in the communities. It acknowledged the programmes the company has delivered, including more than 5,000 scholarships, skills training for over 4,000 women and girls, and flood relief for more than 10 communities in Rivers State.

The subcommittee said PINL’s submission directly answered the claims about how the work was done. It also admitted a gap. The submission did not speak to the claims about contract funds or personal spending. On those two matters, the subcommittee said, its findings rest on the fact that the petitioners brought no evidence.

On the welfare claim, the subcommittee noted that PINL provides palliative and food bank support. It found no sign of neglect. It described PINL as a well-organised company with a strong structure, well regarded in its host communities. It also said no evidence backs any claim against Dr. Okunbo.

The subcommittee then made 12 recommendations to the full Committee under Rt Hon. Dekor. It asked the Committee to dismiss the petition and stop any further investigation. It asked that the record show the claims against PINL and Dr. Okunbor were not proven, while noting that affected parties keep their legal rights. It also asked the Committee to acknowledge PINL’s work in protecting pipelines and its programmes in host communities. It urged PINL to keep up that work and to look after its surveillance staff.

The subcommittee also recommended that the Federal Government extend PINL’s pipeline surveillance contract.

It went further and asked for praise for others. It wants President Bola Ahmed Tinubu strongly commended for sustaining reforms in the security of the oil and gas industry. It wants the National Security Adviser commended for coordinating the efforts that protect the pipelines. It also wants the management of NNPC Limited commended, along with pipeline security firms including PINL and Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited.

Finally, it asked the Committee to pass a vote of confidence in the President, the National Security Adviser, NNPC Limited and the pipeline surveillance contractors named in the report.

READ ALSO: