HOPES of peace returning to the Niger Delta received a big boost yesterday when about 2,000 cult members accepted the recent amnesty declared by the Rivers State government and agreed to lay down their arms.
Over the last year, militancy has returned to the Niger Delta with numerous groups taking up arms and attacking oil and gas installations. To help address the problem, Rivers State governor Nyesom Wike offered local militants an amnesty, giving them scholarships and training opportunities if they laid down their arms and agreed to dialogue.
Yesterday, thousands of cult members, who were involved in kidnappings, killings and armed robberies in the past, surrendered their weapons before members of the state Amnesty Committee in Isiokpo, the headquarters of Ikwerre Local Government Area (LGA) of the state. Some of the weapons surrendered by them included AK47 rifles, G3, dane guns, dynamite, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) guns and detonators.
Speaking shortly after receiving weapons from the repentant militants, Ken Chinda, the chairman of the Amnesty Committee, explained that peace was expected to return to Ikwerre LGA after the event. Identifying the cult groups as Iceland and Debam, Mr Chinda charged them to not to go back to crime, adding that the state government was sincere about helping them to achieve their dreams.
In addition, Mr Chinda warned that soldiers would fish out militants that refused to accept the amnesty declared by Governor Wike. He also declared two of the cult leaders, Samuel Nkasiobi, popularly known as Italian and Okechukwu Amadi, nicknamed Gunboat, as enemies of the state for refusing to accept the amnesty.
Mr Chinda said: “We are all witnesses to what some misguided youths have done in Ikwerre LGA where people are predominantly farmers. Many could not farm because the militants are living in the forest where their farms are located."
He urged them to shun acts capable of discouraging investors from doing business in the state. Earlier, Samuel Nwanosike, the caretaker committee chairman of Ikwerre LGA explained that with the repentance of the cult members, farmers would be free to work on their farms.
Mr Nwanosike said the two cult leaders, who refused to accept the state government’s amnesty, would be declared wanted after a week. He added that the sum of N10m would be paid to anybody that could give any information on their whereabouts.
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