NIGERIA: Several leading Niger Delta militants hand in their weapons and accept Government amnesty ahead of deadline

Record ID: 235152

  • Title: NIGERIA: Several leading Niger Delta militants hand in their weapons and accept Government amnesty ahead of deadline
  • Date: 5th October 2009
  • Summary: DUTCH ISLAND, NIGERIA (OCTOBER 03, 2009) (REUTERS) LEADER OF NIGER DELTA VIGILANTES GROUP, ATEKE TOM LEADING HIS MEN OUT OF THEIR HIDE OUT IN THE CREEKS VARIOUS OF ATEKE TOM AND HIS MEN WADING THROUGH WATER IN THE CREEKS VARIOUS OF MILITANTS FIRING MACHINE-GUNS AS THEY LEAVE THE HIDE OUT MILITANTS GETTING IN SPEED BOATS SPEED BOAT GOING PAST OIL INSTALLATION PORT HARCOURT, NIGERIA (OCTOBER 03, 2009) (REUTERS) ATEKE TOM AND HIS HEAVILY ARMED MEN ARRIVE IN THE CITY OF PORT HARCOURT VARIOUS OF ATEKE TOM AND HIS MEN MARCHING THROUGH THE STREETS ATEKE TOM TALKING TO GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS ATEKE TOM POSING WITH WEAPON FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS VARIOUS OF AMMUNITIONS AND EXPLOSIVES GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS INSPECTING WEAPONS SURRENDERED BY FARAH DAGOGO, OVERALL FIELD COMMANDER, MOVEMENT FOR THE EMANCIPATION OF THE NIGER DELTA (MEND) FARAH DAGOGO WATCHING VARIOUS MACHINE-GUNS ROCKET PROPELLED GRENADES (SOUNDBITE) (English) FARAH DAGOGO, OVERALL FIELD COMMANDER, MEND, SAYING: "Today October 3rd 2009, I Farah Dagogo, overall filed commander for the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, accept together with filed commanders in Rivers State, the presidential offer of amnesty to militants, to lay down their weapons in line with the conditions attached to this amnesty offer, we are surrendering all weapons under our direct control." VARIOUS WEAPONS SURRENDERED
  • Embargoed: 20th October 2009 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Nigeria
  • Country: Nigeria
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA1R2O9KLWGWAF4KF18PV8FEC9P
  • Story Text: Leading militants in the Niger Delta on Saturday surrendered their weapons and accepted a Government amnesty ahead of Sunday mid-night deadline.
    Militant fighters loyal to a Nigerian rebel leader in the oil-producing Niger Delta began emerging from the creeks on Saturday (October 3) to surrender their weapons and accept an amnesty.
    Dozens of speedboats full of fighters carrying machine-guns and rocket launchers travelled from Dutch Island, a camp that is home to militant leader Ateke Tom, to the oil hub of Port Harcourt.
    Tom, whose fighters, the Niger Delta Vigilantes Force, have been behind many of the attacks on the oil industry in the eastern Niger Delta in recent years, on Thursday accepted a presidential amnesty in Abuja.
    Residents of Waterfront, one of the areas of Port Harcourt hardest hit by recent fighting, came out of their houses and cheered as the militants arrived.
    Another militant leader, Farah Dagogo, of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), also responsible for attacks on the oil industry in the eastern Niger Delta, also led his gunmen from camps in the mangrove creeks to the oil hub of Port Harcourt to disarm.
    "Today October 3rd 2009, I Farah Dagogo, overall filed commander for the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, accept together with filed commanders in Rivers State, the presidential offer of amnesty to militants, with to lay down their weapons in line with the conditions attached to this amnesty offer, we are surrendering all weapons under our direct control," Farah Dagogo, read in a statement.
    Attacks by militants on pipelines and flow stations, kidnapping of oil workers and clashes with the military have helped prevent Nigeria from pumping above two thirds of its oil capacity in recent years, costing it $1 billion a month in lost revenue.
    President Umaru Yar'Adua's offer of amnesty to all gunmen who lay down weapons by Sunday is the most serious effort yet to end the unrest and government officials say thousands of fighters have accepted the deal.
    But sceptics fear they will return to the creeks and take up arms again if they cannot quickly be retrained and found jobs.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register