Amnesty programme: Judge urges ex-militants to be change agents

Justice H.A. Nganjiwa of the Federal High Court Yenagoa, on Wednesday, advised 18 aggrieved ex-militants, who filed a suit against the Chairman of the Amnesty Implementation Committee, Brig. Gen. Paul Boroh,over their non-inclusion in the ongoing Amnesty programme for the Niger Delta region, to be change agents.

Justice Nganjiwa, at the resumed hearing on the option of Out-of-Court settlement between the Amnesty Office and the aggrieved ex-militants, threw those in Court off balance with his open advice to the youths to be examples of peace and assist the Federal Government to end recent cases of attacks on oil Installations in the Niger Delta.

According to Justice Nganjiwa, the decision of the ex-militants to seek legal means to resolve their grievances against the Amnesty Office and the Federal Government was a better option that should be adopted by those behind the recent attacks in the region.

Said he, “Help the Federal Government talk to them(Niger Delta Avengers)to desist from bombing pipelines since the Federal Government is putting measures in place to engage them. Tell them to be patient with the Federal Government as their recent actions is not the best.”

He adjourned hearing of the suit to June 29.

Barr. K.O Sariki, the Counsel to the aggrieved ex-militants, had noted in his address before the Court that though the defence counsels had failed to show up and that the aggrieved ex-militants are waiting for the out of court settlement with the parties involved in the suit.

The aggrieved ex-militants, Asenekir Oyile, Angiama-Owei Oyindoubra, John Government, John Sawyer, Trydy Okpeke, Dollar Motor, Selebi Ayowei, Bobra Angese, Henry Gomeromo and Ekerebi Ombe had in their suit, numbered FHC/YNG/CS/102/2013,claimed that the Amnesty Committee erred by refusing to include them in the ongoing Amnesty programme after series of resolutions from meetings with the past and present National Security Advisers to the President, Late General Owei Azazi and Col. Sambo Dasuki, respectively.

The ex-militants declared that they were Former militants that had accepted Amnesty under the Third Phase and surrendered their weapons to the Federal Government through the Amnesty Office in 2011 under the Peace Initiative of the Federal Government.

Also sought by the aggrieved militants is an order from the Court compelling the Amnesty Committee to pay the sum of N7million each representing alleged general damages and N1m each representing cost of litigation.