Ex-Niger Delta militants seek justice in amnesty programme

Former Niger Delta militants have warned that alleged negligence, lack of transparency and exclusion in the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) could disrupt oil production in the region if not urgently addressed.

The ex-agitators, operating under the banner of the Marginalised Original First-Phase Leaders of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, said the current handling of the initiative threatened peace in the oil-producing Niger Delta.

Speaking to journalists in Yenagoa, the group’s leader, Excel Yerindideke Toriomo, called on President Bola Tinubu and the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, to intervene to prevent a breakdown of peace.

The former militants, who surrendered their arms in 2009 under the federal government’s amnesty initiative, are demanding a comprehensive forensic audit of the programme, as well as fairness and inclusion in its operations.

Toriomo said the group had notified the Federal Capital Territory police command of plans to stage a protest in Abuja to press its demands, warning that failure to act could lead to disruption of oil facilities in the region.

“We surrendered our arms in 2009 and embraced peace. Our advocacy is not a threat but a call for accountability, justice and equity,” the group said.

They alleged that their N65,000 monthly stipend remained unchanged since 2009, adding that  original beneficiaries of the programme were being excluded from training and scholarship opportunities.

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