Although full list of those that will benefit from President Umaru Yar’Adua’s planned amnesty to Niger Delta militants is yet to be made public, Saturday Vanguard can however reveal some names sent to the presidency for the proposed pardon.
The list, made of 12 most deadly militants, also has the top five deadliest militants from Bayelsa state, three from Delta and five fromRivers.
It also has Henry Okah, detained leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) and Niger Delta People’s Volunteer Force (NDPVF), leader, Mujahid Dokubo-Asari.
Former Federal Commissioner for Information, Chief Edwin Clark, told Saturday Vanguard months back that Ijaw leaders submitted a list of persons to be granted amnesty by the federal government, last year, to the government, through the then Secretary to the Federal Government, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe.
However, new lists are said to have emerged in the last one year. A committee is therefore likely to be set up to identify the genuine militants and separate them from the criminals before finding out who among them is ready to drop his arms for amnesty. If not, a blanket amnesty for all without knowing who is who; or who should surrender his arms will make the whole thing a child’s play, Saturday Vanguard can reveal.
Even then, some of the Niger Delta leaders see the amnesty proposal as a trap. While Asari Dokubo has vowed that only a Sovereign National Conference (SNC) can decide the Niger Delta struggle, he explained that, “ Our legitimate struggle for control of our identity and self determination will continue.”
Warri-based lawyer, Dr. Emmanuel Urhobo said, “The federal government should know who the militants and criminals are.”
Saturday Vanguard gathered that the list was compiled after some Ijaw youth leaders went round the militant camps, particularly those the Joint Task Force (JTF) in its report by one of its former commanders, Major General Lawrence Ngubane, classified as militant leaders, and obtained their names and those of their boys for amnesty.
From obtainable statistics, no fewer than 5,000 armed youths: oil thieves, hostage takers, pipeline vandals and bandits are scattered in the various militant camps in the Niger-Delta states, all in the name of militants involved in the Niger-Delta struggle and will benefit from the amnesty. Also, militants, who Ngubane in 2007 described as militant leaders in the Niger-Delta will be among the beneficiaries.
Other top deadly militants that made the amnesty list submitted by the Ijaw to President Umaru Yar’Adua are General Tammo, Egbema One, Ezekiel, Africa Owei, Mackiver Joshua, Victor Ben, Gibson Kala, Commander Jackson, Ateke Tom, Farah Dagogo, Soboma George and Sobomaba Jackrich.
The JTF rates Joshua Mackiver as the most deadly of the five in Bayelsa followed by Africa Owei. The Task Force believes that Victor Ben is likely to overtake the others because of his current supplies. The fourth in its ranking is Commander Jackson and Prince Igodo brings up the rear.
Others expected to benefit from the amnesty are British Columbus Ebipade, Alhaji Muhammed Powell, Awala George, Richman Nyimbrin, Commander Andabofah Opunamah, Sunny Tari, Tamunokuro Princewill, Bob-Manuel Monima, Eleye Princewill, Borotu Braide, Odepupenibra and Dan Moscow, Cynthia Whyte (not real name but spokesperson of the Joint Revolutionary Council, JRC ), Onengiye Erekosima and Engineer George Kerley.
Saturday Vanguard also found out the military strength of the top militants Camp Five in Delta state, the JTF said, has GPMGs, AK 47s, BMGs, RPGs, speed boats, locally configured to bear some GPMG/BMG. The JTF said it confirmed that Camp Five had an anti-aircraft gadget.
Egbema One, led by one Henry, aka Egbema One has some high caliber weapons such as G3s, AK47s, some of which were seized by soldiers of the Joint Task Force (JTF) also called Operation Restore Hope (ORH) during a recent operation that saw the camp razed down Ezekiel, leader of the Deadly Underdogs, a small but powerful militant group in the state that broke away from the NDFF, has up to 50 fighters loyal to him.
Africa Owei, a jail bird with a murder charge against him, has three General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMGs), at least 50 assorted rifles, especially AK 47 and pump action guns, inexhaustible supply of ammunition and dynamites, 17 speedboats of which three are locally configured with gun boats, usually mounted on GPMGs.
Mackiver Joshua, also a jail bird like Owei, is said to have more than 300 fighters and his group is armed with AK 47s and GPMGs.
Recent intelligence revealed that he may have acquired Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) launchers, with foreign mercenaries sighted in his camp, training some of the boys on handling the weapons.
It is suspected that he travelled to South-Africa in 2007, where he made arrangements to acquire RPGs. JTF’s weapons inventory indicated that he has 100 AK 47s, 15 GPMGs and seven RPGs. His motive of acquiring RPGs it is said, is to target military aircraft, as he is of the opinion that only an aerial operation can dislodge him.
Victor Ben, aka Boyloaf has 200-300 estimated fighters, 15 GPMGs, 120 AK 47 rifles, 15 long range BMGs, three RPGs and 20 double 150 horsepower speed boats. The late Gibson Kala, aka Prince Igodo had about 50 fighters whose ages range between 17 and 21 years.
Igodo was said to be more of a sea pirate. He was also said to target facilities of oil companies. Ngubane said Igodo had 20 AK 47s, some of which appear not well serviced, six GPMGs, 10 Uzi machine guns, two boats, usually mounted with machine guns, often serving as gun boats, seven speed boats, and double 175 engines.
Gibson was, however, later killed by a fellow militant in a clash, last year, and the group is currently led by one of his stalwarts.