Amnesty Threats: Minister Warn Niger Delta Militants

Aliyu Othman, Abuja

The Minister of Defense, General Godwin Abbe , has warned   militants not to carry out their threats to bomb installations in the Niger Delta region.

 

The Minister told State House Correspondents at the Presidential Villa Abuja that the militants should appeal to their consciences not to carry out any attack because they stand to loose more by going back to militancy acts.

Cooperation

General Abbe who was also the Chairman of the Amnesty Implementation Committee, reminded the militants that government required peace and stability to be able to build the roads and other infrastructure in the area for sustainable development.

 

The Minister said the Amnesty implementation committee was prepared to receive any militant leader ready to accept the amnesty condition and give peace a chance . He stressed that the amnesty does not provide for any arms for money deal with the militants.

Riot Act 

The Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi also expressed his determination to launch an offensive against those militants who have refused to turn in their weapons at the expiration of the Amnesty on October four.

The   Governor who was speaking in port-Harcourt the Rivers state capital, southern Nigeria, also restated   his determination to demolish all water fronts, including the ones in Okrika.

Governor Amaechi noted that eight percent of crimes in Port Harcourt incubate on the waterfronts which serve as hideouts for criminals.

He dismissed as misplaced and unrealistic, complaints by the Riverine people that road construction favours the upland area to the disadvantage of the Riverine communities.

Commendation

Former second in command to former head of State, Abdulsalami Abubakar, Mike Akhigbe, addressing the issue said that President Umaru Yar’Adua deserves commendation for the amnesty but cautioned against the deal being hijacked by politicians and criminals.

Qasim / Funke