There has been serious apprehension over the security of lives and property Ahead of the rerun election into the National Assembly in some parts of Rivers State.
In a bid to rid the state of tensed political atmosphere, the Rivers State Government initiated amnesty programme for repentant cultists, kidnappers and other criminals making life unbearable for members of public.
The amnesty programme was launched on Friday September 16. During the launching of the programme, the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike said that the State government would not pay for arms surrendered by cultists and militants.
The governor said the inauguration of the committee was a major move to restore peace across all communities in the state.
The committee had as members, representatives of the Nigerian Armed Forces, the Nigerian Police and the Department of State Services. The Special Adviser to the Governor on Amnesty, Sir Ken Chinda was appointed chairman.
In his inauguration speech, Wike charged the committee to interface with different cult groups for the purpose of retrieving arms from them.
The governor also charged the committee to work out modalities for ensuring the proper integration of cultists and militants who willingly subscribe to the amnesty programme.
He warned the committee members against promising repentant cultists and militants that the state government would pay for arms surrendered in the course of the programme.
He declared: “Anyone who has surrendered his arms and has followed through the process laid out for the amnesty will be pardoned. Such a person will not be prosecuted.
“This committee has 60 days to complete its assignment. After the 60 days, any cultist or militant who fails to subscribe to the amnesty programme will face the full weight of the law.”
The governor reiterated that the amnesty programme was not politically motivated, pointing out that it was designed to promote the security of all communities in the state.
Responding on behalf of the committee members, Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Ken Chinda, assured the governor that members of the committee would work in line with the terms of reference outlined.
However,the main opposition party in the state, All Progressive Congress, APC, dismissed the Amnesty Programme as a stage-managed affair.
The party in a statement signed by the State Chairman, Chief (Dr.) Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, said that the arms being returned under the Amnesty Programme are being turned in by cultists empowered by Wike and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to kill APC members and cause insecurity in Rivers State before, during and after the 2015 general elections.
The statement issued on Sunday November 20 in the State capital, Port Harcourt, said: “We have continued to watch the drama where the Amnesty Programme script is being played out by the devious PDP government in the State and its militant wing. We hope that the movie directors in Africa Magic are watching the scenes with a view to adapting them for a blockbuster movie that will send leading movies on the continent to the archives.
“We are not deceived as we are aware that these cultists returning arms were the same group of young men equipped and empowered by the PDP leaders in Rivers State to intimidate, maim and kill opposition figures in the State.
APC alleges that the “unholy project of PDP” has claimed the lives of some leading Rivers State politicians, including over 200 members of APC. With the main aim of employing violence to win the 2015 general election realised, they were asked to return their arms procured for them by PDP and wait for the 2019 general elections.
“Some of these dangerous cultists have been encouraged not to surrender their arms and to ensure that the rerun election in the State billed for December 10 should not hold as PDP is not ready for any peaceful rerun election in Rivers State, after which they will join others in another round of amnesty drama.
APC also alleged that cultists have been empowered through “political appointments and elective offices to sustain the bloody nature of Rivers State politics that has turned the State into Rivers of blood and a laughing stock among civilised states in the world.”
Rivers APC pleaded with the Nigeria Police to retrieve the returned arms kept in the Rivers State Government House under the watch of Gov. Wike for safe keep and question some of those who returned them as to the source of these arms.
This, the party said, would enable the Police to stop further procurement, proliferation and circulation of these deadly weapons, while also preventing them from being recycled in future to cause more mayhem in the State.
“The security agencies should help and restore hope to our dear State,” the party pleaded.
At the end of the first phase of the amnesty programme that took the committee round the 23 local government areas, on Tuesday November 15,concluded the first phase of the State Amnesty Programe, with Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike disbanding all vigilante committees in all communities of the state.
The governor also directed security agencies to henceforth go after all cultists and kidnappers who refused to voluntarily accept the amnesty offer of the state government, pointing out that his administration has zero tolerance to crime and criminality.
The governor spoke at the Government House, Port Harcourt during the submission of the report of the Rivers State Amnesty Programme. The State Amnesty Committee had its membership drawn from the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Navy , the Nigerian Police and the Department of State Services.
The governor described the State Amnesty Programme as ‘very sucessful’, noting that the fact that 22, 430 cultists accepted amnesty and surrendered 911 assorted arms with 7661 assorted ammunitions and 147 explosives has made the state relatively peaceful.
He said: “But to show that Government is serious, I hereby disband all vigilante committees in the various communities. I direct the security agencies to make sure that we don’t have such committees except they profile their members to prove that they don’t belong to any cult groups.
“Initially , people felt it was a political game . I thank God almighty that we have proved our critics wrong that we are serious to ensure the security of lives and property in the state. We cannot say that we can totally eliminate crime, but that you and I can sleep very well today, unlike in the past when cultists and kidnappers had a field day.”
Speaking further, the governor said: “For those we have given the opportunity, but they refused to embrace amnesty, I direct the security agencies to go after them. The time for amnesty is over and we are going to take the war to them.
“Since we have given you the opportunity and you have refused to surrender, you have become enemies of the state and the state will fight to the last to make sure that criminality is reduced to the barest minimum, so that investors will continue to have confidence to invest their funds in this state.
“To tell politicians that you must not politicize crime. If anybody is involved in crime, we must not reduce it to party politics. When somebody is a cultist, don’t say that that person belongs to party A, that is not fair. We have to fight crime. We have to join hands to bring lasting peace to this state.”
The governor explained that the state government resolved not to monetise the amnesty programme because it wanted the cultists and kidnappers to sincerely embrace the programme. He assured all the repentant cultists and kidnappers that they will be duly rehabilitated and made to become useful to the society.
He said: “We did not exchange money for the return of arms. It was voluntary. We said, return your arms and denounce any cult group you belong to and we will give you amnesty. All those who have not gone back to crime, be rest assured that nobody will arrest you. But if by tomorrow, you return to crime, know that amnesty does not cover you.
“I urge the Federal Government to give us the support we require for peace to reign in this state. Rivers State is the Treasure Base of this nation. If there is crisis in Rivers State, it will affect Nigeria and so for us as a government, we will continue to partner with Federal Government to achieve zero tolerance to crime. We will not support crime. It doesn’t matter the political divide. If you are involved, you will face the law.”
Presenting the report of the State Amnesty Programme Committee, Sir Kenneth Chinda said the committee was successful because it adopted a direct dialogue approach by establishing direct, honest, transparent and sincere contacts with leaderships of the various groups through a discreet confidence building process.
Despite the end of amnesty programme and acclaimed success of it there is growing concern of the public over consistent attacks of hoodlums on innocet people. Some of these attacks are allegedly carried out by criminals who embraced amnesty thereby raising apprehension about possible violence during and after the elections.
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