As the amnesty granted to militants in the oil-rich Niger Delta area by the Federal Government to surrender their weapons and abandon militancy expires today, most of the militants made frantic efforts on Saturday to beat the October 4 deadline.
Sunday Independent investigation revealed that no fewer than 500 militants have embraced the amnesty in Delta State alone with many of them doing so on Saturday.
It was on a day another militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo (a.k.a. Tom Polo), turned a new leaf by going to Aso Rock to meet with President Umaru Yar’Adua to surrender.
He may be bringing out his dangerous weapons today at Oporoza, Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri South West Council of Delta State where he hails from.
While hosting Tom Polo, the final of the prominent militants who have accepted the Federal Government’s amnesty offer that expires today on Saturday night in Aso Rock, President Yar’Adua assured the militants that none of them will regret laying down their arms in pursuit of dialogue, and pledged that “now begins the real development of the Niger Delta.”
He also pledged to ensure that the oil and waters that Nigeria has been naturally endowed with shall begin to be a source of blessing and not a curse.
The President further promised that his administration would ensure that the conditions that led to militancy in the creeks of the Niger Delta are never allowed to continue and that a committee would be raised to ensure that.
President Yar’Adua maintained that violence does not solve problems but creates more.
“Bloodshed and violence achieve nothing. Peace, dialogue and sense of brotherhood is what can give us a win-win situation. We have a challenging task ahead of us and in order not to lose momentum, the process (post-amnesty programme) will start immediately,” he said.
Tom Polo, who initially was reluctant to address the gathering, however requested a private audience with Yar’Adua who accepted and asked his aides to arrange that at a later date.
The militant leader in very brief remarks though, thanked the President for the amnesty offer and pledged that “I and my people, we accept the amnesty and we shall work with Mr. President to achieve the dreams of this country.”
He came along with 13 of his lieutenants and associates.
In attendance at the meeting were Vice President Goodluck Jonathan, Defence Minister Abbe, Delta State Governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan; Inspector General of Police, Ogbonnaya Onovo; Secretary to Government of the Federation, Ahmed Yayale, and Peoples Democratic Party chieftain, Tony Anenih.
Also on Saturday, Ezekiel Akpasibewei, leader of the Under Dogs of Egbema Kingdom in Koko Warri North Local Council surrendered his arms and embraced the amnesty deal.
Known as the “General,” Akpasibewei said his men and himself decided to lay down their arms in order to allow for peace and development in the region.
He called on the Federal Government to think of ways of empowering the boys who have decided to say no to militancy.
Tom Polo who had earlier called for a three month extension of the amnesty programme made a surprise move on Saturday to Abuja where he accepted the government’s olive branch.
Also on Saturday afternoon at the Port Harcourt Tourists Beech, foremost Niger Delta militant, Ateke Tom of the Niger Delta Peoples Vigilante/ Patriotic Front (NDPVP) who had earlier met with Yar’Adua on Thursday in Abuja, disarmed in style telling the Federal Government that, “you can take your arms, but the struggle continues.”
The process of disarmament commenced at his Camp with a flurry of gunshots by his men.
By 2.30 p.m. when Ateke arrived the beach, the area was already in a carnival mood with masquerades, cultural troupes and a boat regatta as well as display of sea power by his troops at the Water Front.
Waiting to receive him were the Minister of Defence and Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Amnesty, Godwin Abbe, Chairman of the Amnesty Implementation Committee, Lucky Ararile and the Rivers State Coordinator of the Amnesty, Bestman Nnwoka.
Others were Timi Alaibe, Hounourary Special Adviser to the President on the Niger Delta, amnesty Committee media spokesperson, Korikpeme Agari and the Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Magnus Abbe who stood in for his governor, Chibuike Amaechi.
Ateke, who arrived with his field commanders, his nephew and spokesman, Akinaka Richard with his stores, amidst a cheering crowd, supervised the disarmament by his troops and the hand over.
Among the weapons handed over were an assortment of over 100 rifles and magazines, eight GPMGs, two anti-air craft machine guns, seven rocket propelled grenades, 23 bombs and 28 Stickler grenades.
Others include army camouflage uniforms, chain bullets, belts, thousands of live ammunition, 36 RPG chargers, dynamites and masks.
Handing over the arms and ammunition to the amnesty team, Ateke explained that he and other militants were pushed to the wall in taking to arm struggle.
” We were pushed to the wall and we took to armed struggle. After discussing with the president, I realised that he was sincere and committed to the resolution of the Niger Delta problems,” he said.
He urged his boys who still have uniforms to discard them while calling on those yet to drop their arms to do so without further delay.
Ateke who had held sway in the Rivers axis of the Eastern front of the Niger Delta since the exit of Asari Dokubo, said he would head for Abuja to iron out other issues affecting the region and his over 5,000 troops with president Yar’Adua.
He, however, noted that the struggle continues until the underlying issues which he listed to include absence of infrastructure, roads, water, electricity and poverty in the midst of plenty were addressed.
Welcoming Ateke, Defence Minister Abbe, called on other militants who were yet to disarm to do so immediately and warned that “after midnight of Sunday October 4, 2009 anyone found with arms will be treated as a criminal.”
Praising Ateke for his resolve to disarm, Abbe noted that President Yar’Adua had studied all the Committee’s reports on the Niger Delta from the Willink’s Commission to Ledum Mittee’s Committee and had understood the main issues.
“The president has resolved to tackle the issues and ensure that funds meant for the Niger Delta are properly channeled henceforth. What he is only asking is patience from the people,” he said.
Also on Saturday, Buster Ryme, an affiliate of MEND and his group comprising about 200 men turned in some arms at the Air Force Base, Port Harcourt, while Fara Dagogo Soboma Jackrich and Christian Don Pero surrendered their arms at the State Security Service (SSS) office in Port Harcourt.
As the deadline ends, the amnesty Committee has kept to its chest the volume of weapons surrendered by the various militants and their groups.
A member of the Committee told Sunday Independent at the weekend that there was presidential directive on the quantity of weapons recovered from the militants during the period.
Also, the Presidency was said to have told the Committee to keep secret, the number of militants who embraced the deal.
“Get in contact with the Presidency for the information on the quantity of weapons and the number of militants who surrendered,” the member told this newspaper, adding that, “the report of the Committee must be made available to the President who might decide to hoard or make it available to the public.”
However, the source confirmed that lethal arms were actually turned in by the militants.
Yar’Adua declared amnesty to woo militants wreaking havocs to the nation’s oil installations on June 25 and gave 60 days grace, beginning August 6 to October 4, within which period all militants were expected to accept amnesty and turn in their arms or be declared enemy of the state.
It was specifically targeted at the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), which emerged in 2006 in the volatile Niger Delta region, and accused of being behind the spate of abductions, mostly of foreign oil workers, the theft of crude oil, extortions and destruction of oil installations and facilities in the region.
Though, MEND claimed to be fighting for a fairer share of oil wealth for impoverished communities in the Niger Delta, its activities and those of other movements have caused crude production in the nation’s oil industry as the country’s oil production regarded as world’s eighth largest producer, to plummet to around 1.8 million barrels a day, compared to 2.6 million in 2006, leaving the government with no other option than to seek peace when efforts at using force failed woefully.
However, feelers from the Defence Ministry at the weekend indicate that anything can happen now as the authorities are guarding secretly, their next line of action as regards the militants who refused to turn a new leaf.
Sunday Independent reported exclusively a fortnight ago that government had directed that troops be moved to some areas in the Niger Delta in readiness for unforeseen development.
Meanwhile, political leaders from the North have told President Yar’Adua not to extend the amnesty deadline as demanded by some militants and their groups.
Isah Kachako and Tanko Yakasai believe the request for extension by the militants is another ploy to buy time to adequately prepare themselves for the confrontation ahead in the event of their failure to embrace the disarmament.
Also, Lili Gambari and Senator M. Dogowa said that since there was no alternative to peace, dialogue should be seen as the only process to achieving total understanding and lasting peace “in times like this.”
“In my opinion, government has given sufficient time to the militants to surrender their arms and avail themselves of the amnesty of the President. So, anybody suggesting an extension is not being honest. The time frame set by the Federal Government is enough for any one who desires peace,” Yakasai said.
He said anyone asking for the extension of the deadline must be having a hidden agenda.
Gambari said government should consider the dialogue option as a panacea to lasting peace.
Kachako said government must not shift ground on the original deadline, but should rather go out and crush the militants if they remain a threat to peace and unity as well as the corporate existence of this country.
“The Niger Delta militants should not allow their region to turn to a theatre of war, and should ask those with historical hindsight what the country experienced during the Nigeria-Biafra confrontation which must be avoided in any part of the country,” he said.
But the MEND is still insisting on dialogue between its appointed negotiators and the Federal Government to address the root causes of the Niger Delta arms struggle.