N10bn probe: Ijaw youths, ex-militants leaders warn senate over threat to Dikio

The Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) and ex-militant leaders have cautioned the Senate Public Account Committee following its threats to issue a bench warrant on officials of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) including its Interim Administrator, Col. Milland Dixon Dikio (retd) over alleged N10bn unaccounted for as contained in Auditor-General’s report of 2018. 

The Chairman of IYC, Abuja branch, Adam Marbo, said the council was surprised at the committee’s claim that the warrant was to compel Dikio to appear before it to explain an alleged N10bn unaccounted for by the amnesty office. 

• Kuje jailbreak: Terror suspect, 1 other inmate rearrested in Abuja, NigerNiger
• Politics of religion portends danger to Nigeria’s future, unity – Tinubu group

Marbo said the council was further amazed that the report referred to by the committee was based on transactions that occurred in the 2015 fiscal year before Dikio was appointed as the Interim Administrator of the programme. 

He described the posture of the Senate committee as a witch-hunt explaining that the transaction and the audit report happened years before Dikio was appointed as the interim administrator of the programme. 

He said: “We can recall that Dikio was appointed towards the end of 2020. What the Senate is investigating is a transaction that occurred in the amnesty office in 2015 but was mentioned in the Auditor-General’s report of 2018. 

“The matter does not concern Dikio at all. Why will the Senate Committee become so fixated on Dikio that it descended to the arena of desperation with the threat of a bench warrant? What are they looking for? The committee cannot feign ignorance of persons at the helm of affairs in amnesty office when the transaction took place”. 

Marbo urged the committee to stop distracting Dikio and allow him concentrate and deliver his vision for PAP insisting that the current amnesty boss should only be held accountable for his actions and inactions during his tenure. 

Also, Niger Delta ex-militant leaders in a separate statement signed by Chairman, First Phase Ex-Agitators, Henry Binidodogha aka Egbema 1 and Chief Andabafa Namah aka Opunamah called on President Muhammadu Buhari to hold the Senate responsible should there be renewed hostilities in the Niger Delta.