A Niger Delta-based group, Buckingham Palace Group, has condemned recent calls by a faction of ex-agitators for the termination of the pipeline surveillance contract awarded to Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL), describing the allegations leveled against the company and the Olu of Warri, His Majesty Ogiame Atuwatse III, as baseless and inflammatory.
The group, in a statement jointly signed by its Public Relations Officer, Kenny Amgbare, and Vice President, Festus Ederekumor, faulted the claims made by a group known as Aggressive Niger Delta Freedom Fighters Forum. The ex-agitators had, in a widely circulated social media statement, urged the Federal Government to revoke the PINL contract, citing alleged marginalisation of community youths, involvement in oil bunkering, and attempts to rename Ijaw communities.
Dismissing the accusations as “wild, weightless, and self-serving,” the Buckingham Palace Group insisted that both PINL and the Olu of Warri were being unfairly targeted.
On the issue of marginalisation, the group maintained that PINL has consistently upheld principles of inclusiveness and local content. According to the statement, the firm has actively engaged host communities through employment opportunities, skills development, capacity building, and regular stakeholder consultations.
“It is untrue that host communities are being excluded,” the group stated. “PINL maintains monthly engagements with community leaders and continues to implement programs aimed at empowering youths across its operational areas.”
Addressing allegations of involvement in illegal oil bunkering, the group emphasized that PINL operates under the supervision of federal security agencies with a mandate to protect critical oil infrastructure.
“To accuse PINL of aiding the same crimes it is contracted to prevent is a gross distortion of both logic and law,” it said.
On claims that PINL was sponsoring conflicts in local communities, the group countered that the company’s track record was rooted in peacebuilding. “From brokering community dialogue to supporting reconciliation, PINL has consistently invested in harmony, not hostility. If there is any fire, it is not lit by this firm,” the statement added.
The group also refuted claims of an alleged attempt to rename Ijaw communities, calling such assertions “dangerous, politically motivated, and ethnically divisive.”
“As a private company, PINL has neither the authority nor the interest to rename any community. These narratives are nothing but fabrications aimed at inciting division,” the statement continued.
Clarifying further, the group stressed that PINL, as a government-licensed private contractor, has no role in drawing territorial boundaries or laying claim to any land, Ijaw or otherwise.
Highlighting the company’s achievements, Buckingham Palace Group pointed out that the surveillance activities of PINL have led to a significant reduction in vandalism and oil theft on the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP), contributing to increased oil output and higher government revenue over the past year.
The group urged the public to disregard what it described as “propaganda masked as activism,” insisting that the authors of the allegations do not represent the broader interests of the Niger Delta region.
“These are not voices of justice but echoes of opportunism,” it stated. “They speak only for themselves.”
Reaffirming its support for both PINL and the Olu of Warri, the group commended the monarch’s reign for its commitment to peace, unity, and development.
It also called on traditional institutions, youth groups, civil society organizations, and community leaders in the region to reject any attempt at manipulation and remain steadfast in preserving the peace necessary for development in the Niger Delta.
The group advised critics to embrace dialogue and constructive engagement in airing their grievances, warning against actions or rhetoric that could plunge the region into crisis.
