FG should expect more violence —Ex-militant leader

he Chairman of the Amnesty Phase three agitators in Delta State, ‘Gen.’ Para Ekiyes, has warned the Federal Government of more violence following their exclusion from the programme.

The wanted ex-militant was reacting to comments made by the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Kingsley Kuku. Kuku had said that the government would not accede to the demands of some aggrieved ex-militants for their inclusion in the programme.

“There is no third phase in the amnesty programme and there is no window that will include anybody in the programme,” Kuku had said on Wednesday.

Ekiyes, who spoke with our correspondent in Warri, stated that Kuku’s statement was an invitation to chaos and that by refusing to include the aggrieved youths in the programme after they had surrendered their arms, the government was indicating that it could not be trusted.

Ekiyes said, “If the Federal Government and Kuku say there’s no third phase amnesty, then all the multinational oil companies should leave the Niger Delta. If after collecting our arms, the government cannot be trusted, then there’s a problem.

“We are ready to engage them. We are regrouping and we are warning the government to get ready for us since what they want is war.”

The JTF however described the wanted ex-militants as criminals, adding that unless they submit themselves to the authorities and look for peaceful ways of engaging government, they would end up like their late leaders.

The JTF Spokesman, Lt Col. Timothy Antigha, in an interview with our correspondent said.

“These people are criminals. Where were they when the amnesty window was open and the serious ones among them embraced it?’’

The FG had last month declared seven of the ex-militants’ leaders wanted over the bombing of an Agip Trunk line in Bayelsa.

About seven security personnel were also killed two weeks ago by some persons suspected to be ex-militants, but whom the JTF described as sea pirates.

via Punch