Port Harcourt Cult Leaders Plead for Amnesty

The Rivers State Gover-nment has announced the extension of thecurfew imposed in Port Harcourt for another one week for what itsaid was meant to sustain the peace so far attained in the State.The extension is coming as a major player in the cult groups€ ’²war and Leader of Niger Delta Vigilante Move-ment (NDVM), Mr.Ateke Tom, wrote to request for amnesty from Governor CelestineOmehia whom he pleaded with to guarantee his safety from harm.His counterpart, George Soboma, who survived a military assaultlast week, is also reported to have made advances to the stategovernment, promising to renounce violence if the state wouldgrant him amnesty.Ateke, in a letter dated August 13, 2007 and entitled € ’³Totaland unreserved support for the current peace efforts ofgovernment renunciation of violence and request for amnestyannounced by you€ ’´ said that since he renounced violence atthe Okrika Peace Declaration on July 14, he had distanced himselffrom violence.Ateke who signed the request to Omehia as € ’³Comrade€ ’´ saidhis boys were not involved in the fracas which claimed severallives and told Omehia to grant his request under the tenets ofthe Peace and Reconciliation Committee.€ ’³Your Excellency, I use this medium to deny any involvementin the recent spate of shootings in the city of Port Harcourt. Idid not and will never again engage in such conduct.€ ’³Sir, I believe that your public and unambiguous offer ofamnesty to all who renounce violence is genuine; and I and NDVMmembers hereby request and appeal to be rendered the amnestypromised by you. With the granting of amnesty to me and mymembers and the guarantee of our safety by your government, I amsure the process of peace in our land will be complete€ ’´,Ateke requested.Meanwhile, the Public Relations Officer of the Joint Task Force,Major Sagir Musa has said that they will guaranty the safety ofany of the cult leaders who surrenders and give them adequateinformation on what they need to know as they were not interestedin killing anyone.Sagir€ ’²s explanation is coming in the face of alleged moves bythe cult leaders now driven into the creeks seeking for amnesty.Apart from Ateke who has officially written asking to be grantedamnesty with his boys, it was also learnt that Soboma George,leader of Outlaws has promised to come into the open to prove hewas ready for peace if his safety would be guaranteed.Responding to such requests, Musa said they were ready to assureanyone with good intention s of their safety but had statedearlier that they will get those they were looking for who are onthe run as it was only a matter of time.The curfew extension was made public by the Attorney General ofthe State, Mr. Okey Wali, after the State Executive councilmeeting decided on it Wednesday night. He said the extension wasexhaustively deliberated upon before a decision was taken.Wali expressed appreciation of the State to President Umaru MusaYar€ ’²Adua for the understanding and role he has played toensure the return of peace in the State and condemned calls forthe declaration of State of Emergency in the State.€ ’³Following the reappraisal of the current security situationin the State, the Rivers State Government has announced anextension of the curfew in Port Harcourt for another one week, tosustain the peace already achieved.€ ’³The State Executive Council deliberated on the securitysituation in the State and commended the steps taken to securelives and property within the State, emphasising that the needto sustain the gains recorded necessitated the extension of thecurfew by one week€ ’´, he said.He was particularly critical of the role some indigenes of theState in collaboration with some non-indigenes have played in thecall which he said was misplaced, pointing out that what was onground was that some cult groups clashed which has already beenbrought under control and therefore did not merit the call foremergency rule.Also lending its voice to the condemnation of the call foremergency rule, the South-South caucus of the House ofRepresentatives said the situation did not call for such punitiveaction as it would derail the development vision of the region.Speaking to THISDAY, Leader of the caucus, Hon Andrew Uchendusaid, € ’³I am most uncomfortable with the call by some of ourmuch respected leaders when we have a major agenda, programme andstruggle which border on development€ ’´.Continuing, Uchendu reminded the advocates of emergency rule thatif it was imposed, they will have to fight for its lifting beforecontinuing the drive to address development adding, € ’³Onestate is having a cult related problem that is neither ethnic norpolitical so why ask for State of Emergency€ ’´.