Do Not Stop Amnesty Programme, Ex-War Lord Advises Buhari

Muhammadu Buhari

James Sowole in Akure

An-ex militant who is an operator of a private security agency, Chief Bibopere Ajube on Thursrday advised the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari against winding up the Federal Government Amnesty Programme.

Ajube, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Gallery Security Services in the coastal areas of Ondo State, gave the advice in an open letter to President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and the president-elect.

The letter titled "A position on the Niger Delta Coastal Region and Security Matters Arising Therefrom", delved on the disturbances witnessed during agitation of the people of the area and how the Government Amnesty Programme helped in restoring peace to the area.

Congratulating Buhari for his election, Ajube said it would be counter productive should the Federal Government stopped the Amnesty Programme in 2015.

According to the Ex-war lord of the Niger Delta area, there peace of the area may be breached again because the ex-militants may return to the creek.

He noted that over 30,000 youths of the region were involved in the programme, which helped to restore peace to the area because they are now engaged while many of them are still undergoing training abroad.

Ajube, who highlighted some of the occasions when his security outfit has foiled criminals activities on the creeks, expressed the willingness of the people of the area to support the incoming administration.

He therefore urged Buhari to continue with the programme in view of the importance of the area to the economy of the nation.

However, Ajube advised the president and the incoming president to disregard activities of some elements who feign and disguise under the struggle to perpetrate criminal and selfish anti-people operations.

"The resolve to rid the coastal areas of the Niger Delta of criminal activities is unequivocal and should be perceived with high level of tenacity.

"The nefarious activities of criminal elements must be strongly resisted and stamped out through all egimate means possible in the interest of our nation in general and the Niger Delta in particular, he said.