Murder: Ex-militant leaders seek FG’s protection

Date: 29-11-2010 11:21 am (13 years ago) | Author: Aliuniyi lawal
- at 29-11-2010 11:21 AM (13 years ago)
(m)
Two former militant leaders in the South-South region, Chief Solomon Ndigbara, and ‘General Pastor’ Reuben Wilson have called on the Federal Government to provide security for ex-militants. The duo made the call following the murder of one of the pardoned fighters, ‘Commander’ Areaman Olali.


The leaders argued that since they had surrendered their weapons and embraced amnesty, it was necessary for the Federal Government to protect them from being killed by the unrepentant militants.


Olali was clubbed to death last week by assailants, who lured him out of his residence in Akassa, Bayelsa State.


Ndigbara said on Saturday that though, they felt more secure in the creeks, they would not regret their choice to embrace amnesty.


He called on the government not to politicise the amnesty programme to avoid derailing the scheme.


Ndigbara, who was popularly known as Osama Bin Ladin before he embraced the amnesty programme, observed that some top government officials were only interested in what they could gain from the programme rather than working towards achieving its objectives.


The ex-militant leader, who spoke with THE PUNCH in Bori Local Government Area, warned that until the Federal Government began to show more commitment to the amnesty programme, militancy would not be eliminated in the region.


“The Federal Government is not showing enough commitment to the amnesty programme. Government should fulfill all the promises it made before we accepted amnesty and dropped our weapons.


“We were promised police protection, but we have not got it. If anything happens now, we cannot defend ourselves,” Ndigbara added.


Wilson expressed sadness over the killing of Olali and said the development underscored the need for their protection.


Wilson, who spoke with THE PUNCH in a telephone interview, said that since the militants embraced the amnesty programme, their lives seemed to be in danger.


Recalling how a former fighter, Soboma George, was shot dead in Port Harcourt, Wilson urged the Federal Government to fulfill its promise of providing accommodation for ex-militant leaders.


“If Olali had been given accommodation as promised by late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, he would not have been killed. Olali would not have been in the village,” he said.


Wilson said most ex-militant leaders were targetted for elimination, saying they would be scared of travelling to their communities for the Yuletide for the fear of being killed.

Posted: at 29-11-2010 11:21 AM (13 years ago) | Gistmaniac
- yettyness at 1-12-2010 12:18 AM (13 years ago)
(f)
It true what they are saying.
Posted: at 1-12-2010 12:18 AM (13 years ago) | Gistmaniac
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