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By Godwin Chukwu
Recently, the Rivers State government declared a suspected cult leader, Samuel Ogoso (aka Supreme) wanted for refusing to embrace the fresh amnesty window approved specifically for cultists and militants in Ogoniland by the Nyesom Wike administration.
The suspected cult leader, some members of his cult group and some members of other such groups refused to appear on Tuesday, April 18, before the amnesty committee, at Eleme Local Council Secretariat, to submit their weapons during the disarmament exercise for repentant cultists.
The state government consequently declared Ogoso, his group and other such groups wanted for refusing to embrace the amnesty programme intended to grant them pardon and rehabilitate them into the society.
The state government’s position, as announced by Kingsley Chinda, chairman of the Amnesty Programme and special adviser to Governor Wike on Amnesty, also reflected the administration’s anger at the cultists for spurning the government overtures, for a second time.
The Rivers State government introduced a fresh amnesty programme for the Ogoni area after the expiration of the initial 60 days of amnesty introduced by Wike in the last quarter of 2016, during which cultists and militants in Ogoni area refused to surrender and embrace the amnesty.
But following the escalation of cult and communal clashes in which several thousands were sent to their untimely grave, and the clamour by stakeholders and the people themselves, Governor Wike in March directed security agencies to liaise with the state government to package a special amnesty programme for cultists and militants in the Ogoni speaking local government areas of the state.
This fresh opportunity at getting repentant cultists and militants to surrender their arms saw the Chinda-led amnesty committee go around the four local government areas of Ogoniland namely, Eleme, Gokana, Khana and Tai local government areas receiving arms from repentant cultists.
But one overriding challenge from the visit to all the local governments was as expressed by Chinda at Gokana where he refused to grant pardon to the cultists for trying to play on the intelligence of the committee by not surrendering their “active arms.”
The visibly angry chairman of the Amnesty Committee expressed disappointment with the quality of weapons that were submitted by two groups to the committee at Gokana and Tai, which according to him was the climax of the apathy and levity with which the people have treated the programme.
Speaking at Gokana on April 18, he said; “What is before us here from these two groups is not commensurate with the volume of weapons that the security agencies know that is available to cultists and criminals in this local government.”
Chinda, however, expressed his dismay at the quality of weapons that were submitted by two groups to the amnesty committee.
He said over 3, 000 cultists and members of gangs who came out for the disarmament programme refused to submit active arms and ammunition in their armouries.
Chinda fumed: “What is this? Disused GPMG from Lewe. Not working. Used pellets from Bomu, Tai. Empty shells, nothing to show. We sent people to Bomu, they came back to say that the community have not directed them to submit arms. Yet, the traditional ruler said that there were no arms in Bomu. What sort of self-deceit is this?”
“I am really disappointed with what they submitted. They have deliberately refused to submit their genuine arms and ammunition. We will not grant amnesty to cultists and members of criminal gangs in Gokana local government area.”
The chairman of the amnesty committee declared: “We are giving you all one week of grace to submit your arms and ammunition to the amnesty committee. By next week we will come back, if you refuse to submit your arms, we will also declare you wanted. We know you, we know your leaders.”
“Paramount ruler, if you are hiding, or pretending, we know you, the law will also take its course. We want to sanitize Gokana local government area. For once, let us put the devil to shame and give glory to God Almighty.”
Chinda charged: “Area commanders, Department of State Security (DSS), Supreme must be made to submit all arms and ammunition in his custody. We are giving him up to 9am, on Wednesday, April 19, to surrender his weapons. He will be declared wanted if he fails to comply. He is not above the law. And he must comply.”
“If he fails to turn himself in to the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, of Ogale, Eleme, by 9am, Wednesday, April 19, our hands and our legs will not be there for him.”
The chairman, caretaker committee of Eleme Local Government Area, Hon. Obarilomate Ollor, promised to work with the security agencies to put an end to criminal activities in the area and ensure that peace returns to Eleme.
He stated: “This amnesty programme is a programme of the leadership of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, in Rivers State. We hope the process will put an end to all forms of gangsterism and criminality in our area. All those who refuse to identify and submit their arms and ammunitions to the amnesty committee will be treated as criminals.”
“This is the time for all sons and daughters of Eleme to come together. This is a time for us to forgive. This is time for unity. I thank God that this is happening in Eleme. This is the time to allow peace to come into our lives.”
“It is my wish and hope that after this disarmament exercise, all our youths who embrace amnesty will begin to think positively on how they will be meaningfully engaged. It is our hope that all those who embrace the amnesty will be constructively engaged.”
The repentant criminals in Eleme submitted three AK-47 rifles; four locally made guns; five locally made pistols; four wraps of dynamites and 120 rounds of ammunition to the amnesty committee.
The reluctance of some these cultists and communities, many have decried as continued danger to safety, peaceful and cordial community coexistence among Ogoni communities, which they blame on the dirty politics being played by political and communal leaders in the area.
Many of these cult groups are allegedly led or sponsored by politicians in the area and will only do the bidding of such leader or sponsors.
Emma Tane (not real name), a native of the area said that considering the events of the 2015 elections, which has remained an unresolved sore point for the Ogoni area, a total genuine amnesty programme would be difficult to achieve.
He said “let the truth be told. Amnesty by whom and to whom? And please don’t forget that the issues surrounding the 2015 elections and the subsequent reruns are yet to be fully resolved in the Ogoni areas and whether you like it or not, because the amnesty programme is being midwifed by the PDP government, the APC faction will treat it with serious suspicion. This is my view and I wish am wrong”.
Tane added “I am sure you heard about community amoury, that also would be difficult to be surrendered by the various communities as it is their source of protection from aggression from other enemy communities. So in these days of escalating inter-communal conflicts in the area and community which surrenders all its amoury will be dangerously exposed. A more lasting solution is for government to first and foremost guarantee the safety and peace among the communities, thereafter it can now convince the communities to surrender their arms”.
