Over 200 repentant Niger Delta warlords, on Tuesday, April 26, 2016, barricaded the entrance to the Akwa Ibom Government House, chanting songs and carrying placards of different descriptions.
The former militants, who were granted amnesty in 2012 by federal government since 2012, blocked the entrance to the government house for more than four hours.
According to Punch, the militants, numbering over 200, arrived Wellington Bassey Road, the road that leads to the Government House in six Toyota Hiace buses, chanting solidarity songs and carrying placards with different inscriptions.
Some of the placards read, “We are tired of coming to this place; Please pay us our salaries; How can we be slaves in our state, and other states militants have been paid,” among others.
The ex-militants that blocked the entrance to the Government House, did not allow any vehicles entry or exit from the place for many hours.
A leader of the ex-militants in Akwa Ibom, Mr. Ebong Friday, said the state government did not include them in the Federal Government amnesty programme.
Friday threatened that they would not leave the Government House until the state governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, attend to them.
“Let the state government capture our names and send them to the Federal Government’s Amnesty Programme.
“All other states have been taken care of except Akwa Ibom militants,” he said.
Friday stated that since they laid down their arms in 2012 they have been neglected by the state government.
He added that their visit to Government House on Tuesday was the fourth time without the government attending to their complaints.
He revealed that prior to Tuesday’s protest, they had given the state government two months to address their grievances but they have refused.
The commissioner of police, Mr. Murtala Mani, who addressed the former militants, appealed to them to remain calm and be law abiding while pressing for their demands.
Mani added that Nigerian government would not allow them to suffer after laying down their arms
The police commissioner assured them that he would take their complaints to the governor for action.
