Wike offers amnesty to militants

Governor Nyesom Wike inaugurated the State Amnesty Programme Committee on Friday, September 16 and appointed Sir Ken Chinda who is the special adviser to the governor on amnesty as chairman. Militants in the Niger Delta region have been blowing up oil and gas pipeline with the notorious being the Niger Delta AVengers. In a statement issued by Simeon Nwakaudu who is the special assistant to the governor, it was revealed that the committee was made up of representatives of the Nigerian Armed Forces, the Nigerian Police and the Department of State Services.

Governor Wike charged the committee to interface with different cult groups and militants for the purpose of retrieving arms from them. He warned them however not to promise militants that they will be paid for the weapons they surrendered. “Anyone who has surrendered his arms and has followed through the process laid out for the amnesty will be pardoned. Such a person will not be prosecuted. “This committee has 60days to complete its assignment.

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After the 60days, any cultist or militant who fails to subscribe to the amnesty programme will face the full weight of the law. The governor reiterated that the amnesty programme is not politically motivated as it was designed to promote the security of all communities in the state. Mr Ken Chinda assured the governor that members of the will work in line with the terms of reference outline