afrol News, 17 June - Nigerian President, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, has welcomed the decision of the leader of the Niger Delta Vigilante Movement, Ateke Tom, to disarm following the announcement of amnesty offer by the Federal Government.

President Yar'Adua had made the offer of an amnesty more than a month ago, but not even a single militant group had bowed down to the amnesty conditions which included among others disarming the groups in the oil rich Niger Delta.

He said last month offence in the Delta was only meant to guarantee peace and security in the Niger Delta, so that people can live, work and carry on their normal duties without fear within the region. “We are not fighting the Delta State, we are all Nigerians and what we are trying to do is what is best for our country,” he said.

However, Mr Tom said his group would disarm as long as the government was sincere about bringing peace to the State.

Mr Tom also listed the conditions under which he would surrender, of which his main focus was the disbandment of the Joint Task Force (JTF), the military body responsible for the security of the oil-producing region.

“If the JTF was withdrawn and attacks on Niger Delta settlements halted, then we will have things to discuss with the Federal Government on the terms of the amnesty,” he said.

Other senior government officials said if Mr Tom was sincere about the amnesty, he ought to have come by himself to state his acceptance of the offer. “He is insincere and should not be listened to,” the official said.

Mr Tom had since Monday spoken through his lawyer, Mr Ikenna Enekweizu, to negotiate with the government on his readiness to accept amnesty.

The government further said the people should take the statement of the militant leader with a pinch of salt as he might be plotting a way of re-entering Okrika to unleash another round of mayhem.

Delta’s main militant group, Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has rejected the amnesty, saying the latest offensive by the government was a clear indication that the Federal Government was at war with the region.

The rebellion and violence in the delta has cut Nigeria's oil output by about a fifth since early 2006. A number of armed groups operate across the region, launching attacks on oil installations and pipelines, as well as abducting oil workers and local officials.

The military is currently pursuing a major offensive against MEND which has forced thousands of people to flee their homes since 15 May.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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