We may soon ask FG to return our arms – ex-Niger Delta militants threaten

Beneficiaries of the third phase of the presidential amnesty for Niger Delta ex-militants have threatened to demand the return of their arms and ammunition from the Federal Government.

The National Chairman of Ex-Agitators Youth Development Combined (EAYDC), Mr Tonye Bobo, said it is unfortunate that more than 11 years after surrendering their arms, the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration progress has not been completed.

Speaking with journalists in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State Capital, Bobo urged the amnesty office under the interim administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Col Milland Dixon Dikio (rtd), to document those that surrendered their arms and ammunition but are yet to be captured into the programme.

He also demanded that the third phase beneficiaries of the programme be included in education and vocational training for its delegates.

He said: “It’s unfortunate that we have stayed for 11 years plus and the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration is not completed, we are just trying to calm our followers, but our patience should not be considered to be foolishness.

“That is why when we saw the vision of Col. Dikio for amnesty programme, we decided to key in to restore peace in the region.

“I want to assure you, if the needful is not done, there will be more agitations, we are only trying to calm our people for us to change the narrative, we are seeking maximum support from the government to the office of the Interim Administrator of the Amnesty programme, all the funds that is required and is due to the office should be released.

“We want the funding for amnesty programme to move down to first line charges, those that disarmed and we’re not documented should be carried along, because all these days, they have been crying that if government is not reasoning with them, they will be demanding for their arms and ammunition that they submitted to the government.

“We want to partner with the government and create a relationship that will be free of violence, so that people will know that what they are thinking about us is not what we are. Some of our people have applied since 2012 for education scholarship, up till date, these things have not been met.”