Following the expiration of the ultimatum they gave the Federal Government to recognise them under its amnesty programme, some militants, on Saturday, threatened to unleash terror in the Niger Delta region during the coming week week.
‘General’ Para Ekiyes, one of the leaders, who describes himself as the chairman of the third phase of ex-militants in Delta State, said that 13,000 members of the group would return to the creeks this week if the Federal Government failed to grant their request.
The militants had earlier given the FG a two-week ultimatum, claiming they had surrendered their arms during the amnesty stage, and so must be allowed to benefit from the post-amnesty package, which includes training and empowerment schemes for their re-settlement into the society.
However, the Amnesty Office headed by Presidential Adviser on Niger Delta, Kingsley Kuku, had insisted that the programme could not be an open-ended initiative and that the presidential peace deal in the region had been concluded and only President Goodluck Jonathan could direct fresh admission into the programme.
Last week, the Joint Task Force Operation Pulo Shield had given seven leaders of the group of militants, including Ekiyes, an ultimatum to submit themselves for interrogation in connection with an attack on the production manifold of the Agip Nigeria Oil Company (NAOC) in Bayelsa State. The militants shunned the JTF’s invitation and ultimatum.
According to Ekiyes, the JTF’s claims that he and his band of militants were behind the attack were spurious and unfounded.