No fewer than 183 former Niger Delta agitators (militants) have dragged the federal government before a Federal High Court, Abuja over alleged stoppage of their monthly allowance.
The 183 ex-militants, in 17 separate suits filed by their counsel, Regina Okotie-Eboh, before Justice James Omotosho, also joined the coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) in the matter, reports Nigerian Tribune.
In one of the suits marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/675/2023 filed on December 6, 2023, an ex-agitator, Benneth Ofeyena, sought a declaration that he is entitled to the mandatory monthly stipend of N65,000 as beneficiary of Phase 2 of the PAP.
He said the programme was initiated by the Federal Government vide a Federal Government Amnesty Proclamation Notice issued in 2009 upon a truce reached between the Federal Government and them.
He also sought a declaration that the defendant’s failure and/or refusal to pay the monthly stipend of 65,000 from October 2012 till date to him as a beneficiary is illegal and unlawful.
The ex-militant, therefore, prayed for an order directing the defendants to pay him the sum of N8,255,000.00, representing the mandatory monthly stipend of N65,000. 00 from October 2012 to April 30, 2023.
He sought an order directing the defendants to pay to him the mandatory monthly stipend of 65,000.00 from May 2023 till date.
Ofeyena equally sought an order directing the defendants to pay him N5 million each as the cost of filing the suits
In the other 16 separate suits before Justice Omotosho, the ex-agitators sought same relief.
They told the court that they had been beneficiaries of government’s amnesty programme since 2009 when it was initiated by late President Umaru Yar’Adua’s administration and wondered why the payment of the N65,000 was stopped despite yearly budget of over N60 billion appropriated for the said programme by the federal government.
Some of the plaintiffs in the 16 other suits include Oyemo Ezi, Suru Michael, Albert Tamaraudouye, Alex Sile, Allen Ikiyou, Aaron Williams, Abisere Alfred, Amuluku Daniel, Amuluku Julius, Belele Karina, among others.
When the matter between Benneth Ofeyena against Maj-Gen. Barry Tariye Ndiomu (rtd.), ex-Interim Administrator of PAP, and Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN), listed as 1st and 2nd defendants, was called, the sole plaintiff, Ofeyena, gave his testimony as prosecution witness before Justice Omotosho.
Ofeyena, while being led in evidence by his lawyer, Okotie-Eboh said, the Federal Government and the ex-agitators, including himself, reached a truce in 2009 to surrender their arms and renounce militancy.
Ofeyena, who told the court that, he laid down a pump action riffle at the time said, in return, the Federal Government pledged to institute programmes to assist the beneficiaries’ disarmament, demobilisation, rehabilitation, and provision of reintegration assistance to the militants.
He said after the completion of the training programme at demobilisation camp, he was given a personal identity card of the Niger Delta Presidential Amnesty Programme and a certificate of successful completion of the demobilisation programme.
He said he was also given a certificate of participation by the United Nations (UN) Delegated Kingian Nonviolence Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation Team from Emory University Atlanta Georgia.
Besides, he testified that he was given a unique code that was embedded in their identity cards and certificates issued to all the beneficiaries of the amnesty programme, among others adding that, all these were to prove a point that he was one of the beneficiaries, contrary to the defence submission.
Ofeyena, however, said that he was only paid the monthly stipend of N65,000 from February 2012 to October 2012 before it was stopped.
Justice Omotosho admitted the documents tendered in evidence and marked them as exhibits.
After cross-examination by PAP lawyer, Babatunde Alajogun, and counsel for federal government, Maimuna Lami-Shehu, the judge adjourned the matter till May 6 for the defence to open their case.
