militia group, Niger Delta Liberators Force (NDLF) has threatened to attack Tantita security services Ltd and indigenes of Isoko and Urhobo who are in the employ of the private security services in Delta state.
The threat followed a reported sidelining of the Isokos and Urhobo ex-militant leaders in the award of the pipeline surveillance contract by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
The group warned all Isoko and Urhobo sons and daughters who are working in the employment of Tantita security services Ltd to withdraw their services forthwith from the private security pipeline firm.
In a call to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the group said the president should unbundle the surveillance contract and get indigenous of Urhobo and Isoko former militants to be involved in the pipeline surveillance contract.
The group claimed responsibility for Friday, June 2, 2023, and Saturday, June 3, 2023, attacks on oil facilities of the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company Ltd (NPDC) at OML 30 lines at Emevor, Isoko North Local Government Area and Otu-Jeremi in Ughelli South Local Government Area of the state.
In a statement made available to journalists and signed by one ‘General’ Flame Thrower for NDLF, the group said, “Marginalization and oppression are the main reasons behind all agitations and spate of insecurity currently affecting Nigeria. Our decision to attack crude oil installations as a group is not far from the same marginalization.
“The Niger Delta Liberators Force is a militia group of Isoko and Urhobo orientations which is spread across 10 local government areas of Delta state. We as a group find it insulting that Isoko is not considered viable enough to handle its security despite its peaceful disposition for years since the inception of crude oil exploration in our land.
“Isoko nation is the second place crude oil was discovered in Nigeria in commercial quantity after Oloibiri in Bayelsa State in 1958. Since the beginning of crude oil exploration in the region until now, pipeline facilities have not been tampered with.
“In all, our peaceful existence has been interpreted as weakness and foolishness, hence, no viable federal presence in terms of development is noticeable in Isoko land. Isoko and Urhobo nations have been sabotaged and highly disregarded in the pipeline surveillance contract awarded by the federal government and subcontracted to other ethnic nationalities.
“Isoko and Urhobo nations are not a conquered territory and will never be subservient to other ethnic groups in the region or in Nigeria. Hence, we sound a note of warning to Isoko or Urhobo sons who are under the employ of Tantita security and other subcontractors to resign their commitments since they are saboteurs and would be attacked if seen manning pipelines, as our gallant boys are well spread to put to stop all crude oil exploration activities in Isoko and Urhobo lands.”
“We call on President Bola Tinubu to give rapt attention to the marginalization in the Niger Delta to avoid a degeneration into a South East situation of guerilla warfare,” the statement read.
