A group in the Niger Delta region, Bakassi Strike Force
(BSF), has surrendered part of its arms to show its desire to lay down their
arms if the Federal Government addressed their concerns.
Lt.-Col. Olaolu Daudu, the spokesman of Joint Military Force
in the Niger Delta confirmed the development in a statement issued on Wednesday
in Yenagoa.
Daudu said that the terms of the surrender were being worked
out by Cross River Command of Department of State Security Services and Cross
River government.
He said that the militant group had turned in one General Purpose Machine Gun
(GPMG) and an AK 47 rifle as a show of good faith towards the peace deal.
“Available
information from Sector 4 in Cross River State indicates that Bakassi Strike
Force (BSF) militants led by one Mr Benjamin Ene have expressed unreserved
willingness to lay down their arms.
“They have
contacted the Department of State Service in Cross River State through the
State Government’s appointed rappoteur on amnesty to signify their readiness to
hold talks on amnesty with the relevant authorities.
“To buttress
this demonstration of goodwill, BSF turned in one General Purpose Machine Gun
(GPMG) and an AK 47 rifle.
“The
Department of State Service representatives and representatives of the
rappoteur have since recovered the arms as talks are ongoing on modalities to
surrender their remaining arms,” Daudu said.
It will be recalled that leader of the group, Mr Benjamin
Ene, aka ‘Humble Lion G1’ had on November 1 expressed the desire to surrender in
a video message where he listed conditions for surrendering his stockpile of ammunition..
Ene said that the group was not out to vandalise national
assets but for the wellbeing of his people who resided in Bakassi, now ceded to
Cameroon.
The leader, who spoke from his camp in the creeks of
southern Cross River, said that unlike other militant groups, it had no record
of oil installation destruction or molestation of the citizens.
Daudu said that the Acting Commander the Joint Military
Force deployed to the Niger Delta, Operation Delta Safe, Brig.-Gen Kevin Aligbe has applauded the move by the
militant group to surrender and embrace peace. .
Aligbe
maintained that the military has zero tolerance for militancy and related
crimes in the Joint Operations Area and urged other aggrieved groups to emulate
the BSF by laying down their arms.
According
Daudu, the Commander advised the other Niger Delta militants groups to embrace
the reconciliatory channels open at both State and Federal levels.
The spokesman also
said that troops of Sector 3, following a tip off on Wednesday swiftly reacted
and swooped on suspected sea robbers around Kumfari Community near Idama in
Rivers State.
During the encounter,
one suspected sea robber was killed, two were wounded and seven others
apprehended as one locally made pistol and machete were recovered.
He said that the
suspects are undergoing further investigation.
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