The Isoko Renaissance Group (IRG) has thrown its weight behind the ongoing pipeline surveillance operations being carried out in the Niger Delta, describing the initiative as a major contributor to improved security and economic stability in the region.
The group, however, called on the Federal Government to expand the current mandate to include urgent infrastructure rehabilitation across Isoko communities.
IRG made its position known while formally distancing itself from an open letter purportedly addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and allegedly written in its name.
In a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Aghogho Oletu, the group categorically disowned the publication, describing it as a forgery orchestrated by individuals with no affiliation to the organisation.
“The said letter does not represent the views, position, or resolutions of the Isoko Renaissance Group,” the statement read.
“Those behind it are impostors seeking to drag our name into a narrative that does not reflect our collective interest as a people.”
The group emphasized that since the engagement of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited in the Isoko axis, there has been a noticeable disruption of illegal oil refining activities and pipeline vandalism.
According to IRG, these operations have not only strengthened surveillance across critical oil assets but have also contributed to increased crude oil production and enhanced national revenue.
IRG further noted that the involvement of indigenous contractors and local stakeholders in the surveillance framework has created employment opportunities for hundreds of Isoko youths, reducing restiveness and fostering a renewed sense of inclusion in the region’s economic activities.
“The security gains recorded in recent months are not accidental,” the group stated.
“They are the result of deliberate collaboration between federal authorities and competent indigenous operators who understand the terrain and its challenges.”
While commending the Federal Government for sustaining the surveillance arrangement, IRG urged authorities not to dismantle what it described as a “functional and productive security structure.”
Instead, the group advocated for an expansion of the initiative to address longstanding infrastructure deficits in oil-producing communities.
Specifically, IRG called for the replacement of aging pipelines, rehabilitation of damaged facilities, and the execution of community-based infrastructure projects such as roads, health centres, and water systems.
The group argued that combining security efforts with tangible development projects would consolidate peace and promote long-term stability in the Niger Delta.
“True progress will come when security interventions are matched with visible development,” the statement added.
“Expanding the current framework to include infrastructure renewal will not only protect national assets but also strengthen trust between host communities and the Federal Government.”
The group reaffirmed its commitment to constructive engagement and pledged to continue advocating policies that promote security, economic empowerment, and sustainable development in Isoko land and the wider Niger Delta region.
