The Isoko Renaissance Group (IRG) has alleged that a recent open letter to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, published under its name, is the handiwork of individuals whose illegal oil operations were disrupted by ongoing security reforms in the Niger Delta.
In a rebuttal signed by its Publicity Secretary, Aghogho Oletu, IRG disowned the publication and denied any association with the individuals who claimed to be its President General and Secretary-General.
The group alleged that one of the self-acclaimed leaders, Julius Mallam-Obi, had previously been arrested in March 2020 by operatives of 222 Battalion, Operation Delta Safe, during an anti-bunkering patrol in Erawha, Isoko North Local Government Area.
According to IRG, he was later arraigned before the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
“It is therefore no coincidence that these same individuals now resurface, cloaked in the language of equity and justice, to call for the restructuring of a security architecture that has effectively dismantled their illegal enterprises,” the statement said.
IRG defended the engagement of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited in the Isoko axis, stating that the firm’s operations had significantly reduced illegal refining activities and contributed to a rise in crude oil production from about 700,000 barrels per day to over 1.8 million barrels per day.
The group also highlighted the employment of over one thousand Isoko youths through indigenous contractors engaged in pipeline surveillance, describing it as a legitimate economic revival for host communities.
Calling on the President and the National Security Adviser to disregard what it termed a “charade,” IRG urged security agencies to investigate the activities of those behind the controversial publication.
