29th July, 2011
The Governor of Delta state Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan has warned ex-militants in Sapele and other parts of the state that have taken to kidnapping over the allegation that the Federal Government excluded them from the amnesty programme to desist from such ugly and criminal act. He warned that any of them caught will be made to face the wrath of the law as the law does not respect any person.
According to the governor, “over 40 kidnappers are currently in police net in the state and the majority of them were said to be ex-militants.”
Meanwhile the ex-militant leader Ejiro Irorobeje, America Daniel and Raymond Erharhadje had blamed the Grassroots Coalition for Goodluck Jonathan for their misfortune, for excluding them from the amnesty programme
The militants have regrouped and are threatening to go back to the creeks to unleash violence if the government failed to meet their demands.
The ex-militants were said to be about 3,000 in number and spread across Ughelli,Sapele and Bomadi. Governor Uduaghan said these areas are the flash points in the state.
Deltans are worried that if such a huge number of militants are allowed again to take up arms, the current level of insecurity in the state may worsen.
—Yomi Obaditan/Asaba