A-M-N-E-S-T-Y S-H-O-C-K-E-R:

A-M-N-E-S-T-Y S-H-O-C-K-E-R: Some surrendered arms belong to FG - They were either stolen from the armoury or seized from soldiers - FG sets up arms verification committee - 200 ex-militants protest in Benin - Tompolo causes stir in Delta



THERE are indications that some of the arms and ammunition surrendered by the ex-militants originally belonged to the Federal Government. Those arms, it was alleged, were either stolen, bought from the services or seized by the militants during clashes with men of the armed forces, the Nigerian Tribune has gathered.

According to the Nigerian Tribune source in the Joint Task Force (JTF), though some of the arms were bought by the militants at the market, most of them were “either stolen or bought from the police, military or the SSS.”

It will be recalled that some officers of the Nigerian army were jailed some months ago for selling arms to militants in the Niger Delta region. These revelations were coming five days after the expiration of the Federal Government’s amnesty to militants in the restive Niger Delta region.

It is, however, a case of discordant tunes as regards what the Federal Government intends to do with the arms recovered from the ex-militants, just as the Federal Government has reportedly set up a high-powered verification committee to examine the arms collected from the militants with a view to identifying their possible sources.

A source in the amnesty committee had said that: “In any disarmament process, arms recovered are usually destroyed; this case won’t be different. After the necessary documentation in Enugu, all arms collected will be destroyed.”

But to the JTF source, not all the arms will be destroyed. “It is not possible to just destroy all arms; remember that some of the arms recovered belong to the services, including the police, are you saying that if any arm is confirmed as belonging to the army, navy or police, such will also be destroyed? It is not possible. That is the reason why the president has just set up a competent committee to examine all arms collected and verify the source of each of the arms and ammunition,” the source said

However, Defence Minister, General Godwin Abbe, who doubles as the chairman of the Amnesty Implementation Committee (AIC), said the collection of weapons from the militants was still in progress, and that the nation would be properly briefed on what government intended to do with the arms.

The AIC may brief the press to give the nation details of arms recovered from the ex-militants, their classifications, as well as the total number of disarmed militants. It was, however, not known if the committee would tell the nation what government intended to do with the recovered arms.

“The process is still on. Until we finish with it, it will be difficult to tell you what government intends to do with the arms, or do you want us to give the arms to journalists (laughs)?” Abbe said.

Meanwhile, President Umaru Yar’Adua has directed governors of the oil-producing states to effectively key into the post-amnesty preparations, Nigerian Tribune has learnt.

The president’s directive to the governors, according to a highly placed source in the presidency, would be given to them at a meeting between the president and the governors in the next few days to work out modalities on the way forward.

“In the next few days, governors of the region will meet with the president to chart the way forward; I can assure you that one of the cardinal issues to be discussed is that of the commission to perform specialised roles, like they have in Ondo and Delta states.

“The truth is that the president has directed that the governors properly key into the post-amnesty process in order to enhance a smooth operation during the period; just wait for details after that meeting,” the source said.

As part of the measures to ensure a peaceful Niger Delta during the post-amnesty period, the Federal Government was said to be considering the immediate but phased implementation of the report of the Ledum Mittee-led Niger Delta Technical Committee.

Leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), Chief Government Ekpomupolo (Tompolo), who fully accepted the presidential amnesty and formally disarmed on Sunday, had given the implementation of the committee’s report as a roadmap to peace in the region