…as deadly militants lay down arms
Cross River State governor, Prof Ben Ayade, has granted
amnesty to members of the dreaded Bakassi Strike Force, a gesture aimed at
ensuring peace and safety along the creeks and waterways.
No fewer than one hundred of the militants who took up arms
following the ceding of the Bakassi Peninsular surrendered their weapons.
Governor Ayade’s amnesty gesture, which was the outcome of a
collaboration between the Federal government, the State and the Operation Delta
Safe was aimed at sustaining the established safe investment climate.
Addressing the ex-militants at Ikang, headquarters of Bakassi
Local Government Area, Ayade said: “I have a duty as a father to protect
all citizens and a responsibility as a governor to ensure security of lives and
property. Therefore, there is a complex relationship between my office as
governor and my traditional role as a father. In the light of this,
therefore, allow me the luxury to maneuver through such an agony that I have
found myself today. It is totally unacceptable, no matter the circumstance, for
any citizen of Nigeria who is not trained to bear arms to carry arms. To that
extent, I wish to particularly thank President Mohammadu Buhari, the Chief of
Army Staff and the Commander of Operation Delta Safe for making this event
possible.
“We thank you for your patience, tolerance and
understanding that despite your superior fire power to take them out, you have
chosen to allow dialogue to prevail and in the process, you showed
compassion, humility and that truly truly, you love the people of Bakassi and
indeed, Cross River State. And by so doing, lives are saved and this is the
real essence of governance.”
While not justifying the activities of the militants in
Bakassi, Ayade regretted: “The Bakassi Strike Force, led by Benjamin Ene,
who is from where we are building our deep seaport, though originally not
designed as a criminal gang, became a product of agitation to draw attention to
the painful and sad loss of identity, ancestral heritage and a means of
livelihood, occasioned by the heartless ceding of Bakassi peninsula without a
plebiscite or a referendum with the attendant loss of our oil wells, pain,
hunger and suffering that has characterized the state since the loss. This has
gone on without the correspondent commitment and concern from the federal
government.”
According to the governor, “Naturally, when all avenues
for negotiations have failed, people are forced to attempt alternative
methods of seeking redress,” he said, regretting that the
militants chose the wrong option in their attempt to draw attention to
the plight of the people.
Ayade expressed happiness that the young men have now seen
the folly of that decision and have repented.
“So I thank you for submitting to reason. I thank the
Bakassi Strike Force, as it then was for coming out of hiding. As I look at
you, I feel pain and a sense of shame, defeat as a governor that it took me
this long to bring my brothers out to come join me to build the Cross River of
our dream. We welcome you back home, and as we welcome you, we do so with all
sincerity and every fiber of my being to respect all the terms of the
memorandum of understanding contained in the agreement.”
While surrendering to the joint military task force,
ex-leader of the now defunct Bakassi Strike Force, Benjamin Ene, said the
amnesty represents freedom to his group.
“You have won the battle and the war and we have won our
freedom. We want to pass the message of the suffering of our people to the
government and the relevant organizations worldwide that though, not totally
addressed, may I use this opportunity to thank all the stakeholders,
particularly President Muhammadu Buhari, Governors Ben Ayade, Udom Emmanuel,
Commander, Operation Delta Safe, Rear Admiral A. O. Suleiman and other security
agencies, Architect Bassey Eyo Ndem, among others, for this historic amnesty
being granted by the governor.”
According to the ex-militant leader, “My boys who are
still in various detention camps and awaiting freedom appreciate this gesture
and hereby willingly surrender our arms and never to go back to armed struggle
or insurgency but to be law abiding citizens and pass all our grievances
through every lawful means.”
While taking custody of the arms, Rear Admiral Suleiman
disclosed:
“When I met with the governor, I told him that we shall
not grant amnesty based on any conditions. I insisted on an unconditional
surrender. We also met with the agitators and made it clear to them that
once they surrendered their arms, we will on our part do the needful. Ours
is sacrifice and service to our fatherland. We do not need praises. What we are
doing is a job we have made sacrifices to do.”
Insisting that the joint task force would stop at nothing to
rid the state of criminality , Suleman said: “We will fight criminality to
its logical conclusion around the shores of Cross River State. We are
apolitical as we are only discharging our role as defenders of our country. We
have a mandate to protect the oil and gas infrastructure and that we will not
compromise.”