Amnesty: We’ve not been trained since after disarmament—ex-militants

By CHANCEL SUNDAY

Ex-militants under the umbrella of Niger Delta Defence Cops, NDDC, has issued a serious warning to the leadership of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP, to without delay, effect their training or else they would return to the creeks. In a statement issued on Sunday, signed by self-styled general Para Ekiye and made available to newsmen, the group urged the amnesty office to attend to salient issues of training beneficiaries, payment of house rents and monthly stipends.

NDDC noted that all beneficiaries of the programme captured under Phase 3 were denied of the UN Code, which enables them training outside the country.

“We have just concluded a meeting attended by over three hundred ex-militants under Phase 3 in an undisclosed location in the Niger Delta mangroves and have taken a position.

“We call on the amnesty office to attend to these issues: there are so many uncaptured ex-militant leaders in the 3rd Phase, and the captured ones are also denied the UN Code to school abroad since after disarmament.

“But politicians easily procure this UN Code from the amnesty office and are sending their relatives and friends to schools abroad under the amnesty programme. Enough of this politics!

“Our house allowances are not paid and we spend our monthly spidents to pay rents. We are tired and we give the amnesty office two weeks to correct these anomalies or else we have no other option than to return to the creek”, the statement read. (Sunday Vanguard)