[Published: Friday October 09 2009]
Nigerian gunmen accept amnesty
Abuja, 08 Oct-(ANA)-Up to 15,000 gunmen in Nigeria's oil-producing Niger Delta have surrendered their arms and accepted President Umaru Yar'Adua's unconditional pardon, a senior government official has said.
The number of participants in the amnesty programme, which expired on Sunday, exceeded government expectations and has already raised questions about how such large numbers of former fighters can be rehabilitated and reintegrated.
Yar'Adua's amnesty offer was one of the most serious attempts yet to stem unrest which has prevented Nigeria from pumping much above two-thirds of its oil capacity, costing it billions of dollars in lost revenue.
But activists and Niger Delta residents fear that the former militants could easily return to the creeks and resume attacks if Abuja fails to quickly find them jobs.
Air Vice Marshal Lucky Ararile, chief amnesty coordinator, said 8,299 gunmen had surrendered nearly 3,000 weapons, including machine guns and rocket launchers, and 18 gunboats.(ANA)
FA/ANA/09 October 2009---
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