The ongoing amnesty deal which ordinarily could have been used to solve the age-old criminal activities of militants in the Niger Delta, is taking a dangerous dimension. The alleged hijacking and poor handling of the entire amnesty programme in Bayelsa State, the most affected state in the region, has worsened the fragile relationship that exists between Vice President Goodluck Jonathan and his successor at the Bayelsa government house, Governor Timipre Sylva. While some people loyal to Jonathan say Governor Sylva did not allow a genuine disarmament of militants to take place in Bayelsa, a loyalist to the governor said the Vice President was only interested in planting him as governor in 2011.

Chief Tan Apre is a staunch supporter of Vice President Goodluck Jonathan in the state. He told Weekly Trust that the political disagreement between the Vice President and Governor Slyva started shortly after the governor was elected in 2007. He said the Vice President had complained to him that Governor Slyva was performing below the expectations of the people. “In the entire South-South Zone, Bayelsa is the only state that has 100 per cent of its population that speak only one language, that is Ijaw. We are all Ijaw-speaking in this state. By implication therefore, we all see Bayelsa as a single home for all of us that must be developed by all. That was why the elders had to complain to the Vice President as our political leader. The Vice President in response to the complaint by the elders, decided to caution Slyva. But Governor Sylvia and his camp refused to see that issue based on its merit.           

“They started spreading rumours that the Vice President in the first place didn’t want Slyva to be governor of the state and that the Vice President is planning to sponsor the current Senior Special Assistant to the President on Niger Delta matters, Ndatimi Alaibe against Sylvia in 2011 as a governor. Instead of addressing that matter, Slyva stopped visiting the Vice President even when he comes to Bayelsa on a visit.”

According to Apre, Alaibe contested against former Governor Alamieyegha during the PDP governorship primaries in the state in 2003 elections. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar intervened and Alamiesiegha emerged. In 2007, he wanted to also contest for governorship against Jonathan but former President Obasanjo prevailed on him to step down and he did. He was made the Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). In 2007, Jonathan, Sylva and Francis Doukpola contested the PDP governorship primaries in the state.

“The Vice President at that primary election scored 2,933 votes, Governor Slyva scored 34 votes and Doukpola scored nine votes. But because PDP nominated Jonathan as running mate to Yar’adua, the party had to look for a substitute for the governorship candidate of the state. Rather than make Sylva who had more marks after Jonathan as the next candidate, the party picked Doukpola who had only nine marks to be its flag bearer. That was done when Jonathan was in Abuja. Following public outcry and the request by elders that justice must be done, Jonathan supported Sylva,” he said.

Disagreement between political leaders in the state worsened shortly after militants in the state started dropping their arms following the amnesty extended to them by the Federal Government. While most militants in the region dropped their arms at designated collection centres, in Bayelsa most of the arms were collected at places not designated for such. Bayelsa, incidentally, recorded the highest numbers of arms caches in the region surrendered by repentant militants.

Though government had earlier fixed August 22 for the official commencement of submission of arms by repentant militants in the state, some militants started surrendering their guns earlier to the police in the state. Over 300 rifles including gun-boats were surrendered by some militants prior to the official collection date to the police and the Presidential Amnesty Implementation Committee, thus giving hope that the militia may have accepted the amnesty deal. The operation was supervised by security agencies in conjunction with the state Peace and Conflict Resolution Committee led by its Chairman, Chief James Jepthah.

The militant leaders who surrendered their weapon at the symbolic exercise were General Owei Africa, Commander Ogunbos, Commander Lagos, Commander Lamin, Osein Clever and Agulu Opuoru who was second-in-command to late Kitikata who died of gunshot injuries few days before the exercise following a fierce gun-battle between his gang and soldiers from the JTF. The duo of General Africa and Commander Ogunbos reportedly submitted over 200 arms at the symbolic exercise. The state Commissioner of Police, Elder Onuoha Udeka, who confirmed the collection of the arms from the militants, said over 200 arms including two gunboats have been submitted by six of the prominent militant leaders in the state.

Commenting on the occasion, tagged ‘Bayelsa Peace Day’, which took place at the Peace Park in the state capital, Jephthah said the event would mark a positive turning point in the history of the people of the Niger Delta, pointing out that he has contributed to the success of the Amnesty programme in the state and the entire region.

But spokesman for Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), Jomo Gbomo in an online statement alleged that the Browning 50 Calibre Machine and listed among the arms surrendered by the militants on August 22 were alleged to be Cameroonian Military Intelligence weapons seized after an attack on November 12, 2007 in its territorial waters by unknown gunmen from Nigeria believed to be men of the Nigerian army. 21 Cameroonian gendarmes were allegedly killed during the attack.

The militia leader, with a camp located at Azuzama Community of the Southern Ijaw Local Government Council of Bayelsa State and considered as one of the largest, explained that though the militia leaders in the region never had the intention of holding to ransom the Federal Government and the people through constant attacks on oil facilities, it was an act they had to do to draw attention to the neglect in the region.

Repentant militants in the state took to the streets of Yenagoa in the state capital for three days demonstrating over allegations of neglect by the state government.

One of the armed militants who operated under late Kitikata, a militant leader from Brass in the state, who sustained injuries during a gun duel with JTF soldiers before he later died at his camp, Solo Bainabi, said he accepted the amnesty along with other members of his group following an invitation extended to them by the state government through the local government chairman of their area. He expressed dissatisfaction that they were not being treated the way the state government earlier promised them and that was what brought about the three-day demonstration by militants in the state.

The militants threatened that they would abandon their leaders and go back to the creeks and waterways to resume their struggle if they are not paid their allowances. The repentant militants alleged that the state government had abruptly suspended the payment of their N1,500 daily feeding allowance and the N20,000 monthly upkeep allowance without any explanation, hence the demonstration. Commercial activities were disrupted by the rampaging youths who broke several bottles and blocked the road leading to the Government House.    

The chairman of the central zone of the Ijaw Youths Council in the state, Mr. Heineken Lokpobiri described the protest by the militants in Yenagoa as a very dangerous signal capable of jeopardizing the entire security of lives and property in the state. He blamed the cause of the protest on the unhealthy politics being practiced in the state by loyalists to the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.

Commenting on the demonstration by the militants, Secretary to Bayelsa state government (SSG), Gideon Ekeiowe said the protest was politically motivated. He alleged that the protesters were instigated by other forces to protest against the state government even when they had no reason to do so.   

He wondered why Alaibe should go to Asusuama last Friday without informing the state government as well as any of the security agents in the state, stating that same set of militants whom he claimed to have disarmed were asked to come to Yenagoa to see the governor. Responding, Mr. Timi Alaibe described the allegations as baseless and mere excuses by political machinations targeted at scuttling him. He wondered why it is only in Bayelsa that such allegations are coming from. He said he will not succumb to any pressure that will keep him away from his people.   

But unlike in Bayelsa, in Rivers State, the situation is different.  The four groups associated with the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) in the state are yet to come out of their cocoon to surrender their weapons. These groups are the cultist Okoloma Ikpangi, Elem Ifoko, Elem Tombia and Elem Bakana.

According to the Okoloma Ikpangi militants, they see no reason why they should partake of the amnesty deal when one of their leaders arrested long ago has practically disappeared. They are also not happy that another of their leader, Orienemi Hart, who was paraded by the State Security Service (SSS) in Rivers State a couple of months ago is yet to be released, despite the fact that the amnesty window period has not elapsed.

As for the remaining three, their grouse of recent is that Alaibe, is playing pranks with the entire amnesty project. Busta Rhymes, the second-in-command of the three MEND groups whose turf is around the Bonny axis, just like the Okoloma Ikpangi, Alaibe is setting one militant group on collision course against those groups that have refused to allow him facilitate their disarmament.

Rhymes told Weekly Trust that on August 21  Alaibe invited Egbele, Marvin and himself, who are co-commanders of various camps in Rivers to his house at Abanner Street, Old GRA, Port Harcourt, where he told them that President Yar’adua has begged him to come and help the disarmament process as he Mr. President does not have confidence in the Presidential Amnesty Panel. According to Rhymes,Alaibe said he has direct contact with President Yar’adua and has the final say to the President on matters concerning the amnesty deal. He asked them to submit some of their weapons and that he will give them money to buy some old guns which they will mix with the ones they were going to bring for disarming.

Since last year, when the JTF sacked the Okochiri stronghold of Ateke Tom, leader of the Niger Delta Vigilante Movement, Ateke has refused all entreaties to partake in any peace negotiations. Instead, he has remained incommunicado of recent, so much so that even his lawyer, Barrister Ikenna Enekweizu told Weekly Trust that he does not have access to him.

Ateke has been insisting that  Amaechi was the point man delivering arms to them during his days as Speaker of Rivers state House of Assembly under his former boss, Peter Odili. Although Governor Amaechi had severally denied this allegation and even assured the militants of his intention to receive them if they repent, they are still taking his words with a pinch of salt.

Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi gave the assurance during the maiden monthly press briefing at Government House, Port Harcourt. According to him, Ateke Tom, Farah and other militants in the state would be freed to walk the street if they utilize the amnesty opportunity to surrender their arms. None have responded to his call up till now. The situation is the same in Delta State, the most volatile of the Niger Delta states.

Being the hotbed of militancy, the Tompolo-led MEND faction claims that it has a score to settle with the government. Like Rhymes, some of them, too, do not trust Alaibe.

Six days into the amnesty program, a prominent commander of MEND, Commander Tek revealed that the is one of the sponsors of the group. Tek also told  Weekly Trust exclusively that Mr Alaibe, in his present capacity is spying for the movement, insinuating that he is doing this to court the favour of MEND in his longtime ambition of becoming the governor of  Bayelsa.

On his part, Tompolo’s grouse is not with Alaibe. He is angry with unnamed government functionaries for using and dumping him. He is also angry with the JTF. He believed that some elite have benefitted immensely from bunkering and they are now the ones who are paying the price. On the overall, MEND is of the mindset that the Federal Government is on a mission of vengeance and not genuine reconciliation. This is because the military high command is yet to forgive the group for the disappearance of more than 12 soldiers, including a Lieutenant Colonel, who is also said to be a protégé of former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar. With all these intricacies entangling the amnesty deal, it looks like the situation is far from resolution.