FG vs Ex-Militants: Court Fixes Oct 4 For Hearing

Presiding judge, Justice H. A. Nganjiwa, however, fixed October 4 for hearing on the plea initiated by Bo­roh’s counsel.

The Federal High Court sitting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, has fixed October 4 for hearing on the substan­tive suit filed by some ag­grieved former militants against Chairman of the Amnesty Implementa­tion Committee, Brigadier General Paul Boroh (retd) and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubarkar Malami over non-inclusion in the ongoing amnesty programme for the Niger Delta region.

The former militants, including Asenekir Oyile, Angiama-Owei Oyindou­bra, John Government, John Sawyer, Trydy Ok­peke, Dollar Motor, Selebi Ayowei, Bobra Angese, Henry Gomeromo and Ekerebi Ombe, in their suit, claimed that the amnesty committee erred for not including them in the on­going amnesty programme after series of resolutions from meetings with past national security advisers (the late General Owei Aza­zi and Col. Dasuki Sambo (retd)) respectively.

In the suit, they also declared that they were former militants who 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 government.

The resumed hearing of the suit last Thursday was stalled by plea of Boroh’s lead counsel, Mr. I. Pere, who sought a reasonable adjournment date for the ongoing out-of-court settle­ment process between the aggrieved former militants and the amnesty office.

Mr. Ebiyekio Tekena, representing the former militants, argued that though they were disposed to the plea, the Amnesty Implementation Office had delayed two other adjourn­ments sought on out-of-court processes.

Presiding judge, Justice H. A. Nganjiwa, however, fixed October 4 for hearing on the plea initiated by Bo­roh’s counsel.

Meanwhile, Governor Seriake Dickson has ap­pealed to the former mili­tants to exercise patience with the federal govern­ment over delay in payment of their stipends.

He also called on the am­nesty office to pay whatever was due the former agita­tors.

The governor’s call was occasioned by plans by the former agitators to vandal­ised national assets in the state.