Ex-militants protest in Cross River, demand amnesty entitlement

Former militants under the aegis of Bakassi Strike Force, who surrendered their arms and ammunition through the Amnesty Programme arranged by the Cross River State Government in 2018, on Monday protested at the Governor’s Office, saying the government has reneged on the agreement reached with them.

The ex-agitators, who were on black attires, stormed the Governor’s Office around 8 am, blocked the road, and didn’t allow vehicles to pass through the area.

The former militants, led by one ‘Timaya’, created scenes even with the presence of policemen stationed at the gate and the road leading to the Governor’s Office.

Read also: ‘Your fresh threats are unnecessary,’ Buhari tells Niger Delta militants

‘Timaya’ said the group was protesting the non-payment of their monies, which was supposed to have been paid since December 2018.

But the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the State Security Service, Mr Alfred Mboto, implored them to give the government time to meet their grievances.

However, it was gathered that after more than four hours of pleading, Mboto sourced for N500,000 and gave it to the protesters but the ex-militants declined to collect the money.

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