Publish contractors behind N17.5tn pipeline deals – Atiku to Tinubu Govt

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has challenged the Federal Government to provide a detailed explanation of how a staggering ₦17.5 trillion was reportedly spent on securing petroleum pipelines within one year.

The figure, contained in the audited financial statement of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, has triggered widespread public outrage and renewed scrutiny of the government’s handling of oil-sector finances.

In a statement released on Sunday through his media office, Atiku urged President Bola Tinubu’s administration to publish a comprehensive list of contractors who allegedly received the multitrillion-naira security deals.

He also demanded full disclosure of the scope, deliverables, duration, and justification for each contract, insisting that the expenditure must be subjected to an independent forensic audit.

> “Explain to Nigerians how this expenditure aligns with national priorities at a time of unprecedented economic strangulation,” Atiku said.

Describing the reported spending as “one of the most brazen financial scandals in our nation’s history,” the former vice-president argued that the figure rivals what Nigeria spent on petrol subsidy over twelve years, a programme which, in his view, had direct benefits for citizens.

Atiku accused the Tinubu administration of ending subsidy only in name, while redirecting public funds through ambiguous labels such as energy-security cost and under-recovery — terms he described as “balablu nomenclatures” designed to obscure the return of subsidy payments.

According to him, ₦7.13 trillion was reportedly spent to stabilise petrol prices and another ₦8.67 trillion on under-recovery, despite fuel selling for as high as ₦1,000 per litre in several states.

He alleged that the pipeline-security contracts were linked to “private firms tied to associates and cronies of the President,” calling the development “grand larceny dressed as public expenditure.”

Atiku urged the government to immediately suspend further disbursements until accountability and transparency are established, insisting that the revelations raise fundamental questions about public trust and the ethical standing of the administration.

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