Ex-Agitator Group Retracts Petition Against PINL, Issues Apology
The Aggrieved Freedom Fighters Forum (AFFF), a coalition of Niger Delta ex-agitators, has withdrawn its petition to the federal government demanding the cancellation of the pipeline security surveillance contract awarded to Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL). The group had previously alleged non-performance, marginalization of local youths, forced renaming of Ijaw communities, increased bunkering, and sponsorship of tribal conflicts over Ijaw and Urhobo lands in Delta State.
In a press statement issued last weekend in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, AFFF leader General Seiyifa Gbedeke, alias Don Cairo, announced the withdrawal and apologized to PINL, the federal government, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), and Niger Deltans. Gbedeke admitted the petition was premature, lacked evidence, and was based on misinformation. After consultations with stakeholders, including PINL staff, ex-agitators, and beneficiaries of PINL’s scholarship and medical outreach programs, the group reconsidered its stance.
“We were hasty and misled in our approach. We apologize for our ignorance,” Gbedeke stated, acknowledging PINL’s effective operations within the scope of its responsibilities as set by NNPCL and the federal government. He praised PINL for employing approximately 15,000 Niger Delta youths, conducting regular medical outreaches, and providing scholarships, contributing to peace and stability in the region.
