Calabar
Bakassi Strike Force ex-militants, who laid down their arms in 2018 to embrace Cross River and federal governments’ amnesty programme, have expressed fears that unborn generations of youth from the ceded territory could take up arms against the Nigerian state if issues surrounding Bakassi are not addressed now.
One of the former commanders of the group, Victor Benjamin, said this in Calabar weekend, while receiving COVID- 19 palliatives for his group members.
The palliatives were donated by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio and the Sole Administrator of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Efiong Akwa, to Cross River people.
While commending Akpabio and Akwa for the donation, the former militant commander said, “We appreciate the effort of Sen. Godswill Akpabio, the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and the NDDC for giving us this palliative. But let me remind our leaders that the Bakassi situation is a very sad one which needs to be addressed.
“We decided to let go of our losses for the sake of peace but the federal government should take over the situation so that generations yet unborn won’t choose the path of arms struggle.
“We plead with our brother, the Minister of Niger Delta, to look into the situation also and help us plead with President Muhammadu Buhari to do something about the issue of Bakassi now.
“On the amnesty that we did in 2018, the federal government in collaboration with the state government promised to look into our situation and we voluntarily laid down our arms, but since that time till now, the stipend has not been paid and we have not been captured in the Presidential Amnesty Programme.”
Coordinator of the palliatives distribution in Cross River, Orok Duke, who spoke during the event, noted that the ex-Bakassi Strike Force members, who had disarmed and had joined the State Amnesty programme, were still waiting for the promises made to them to be fulfilled.
Duke said it wouldn’t have been nice if the ex-fighters were not included, adding that from the 1st to 3rd of February, he had ensured all the 196 wards across the 18 local government areas in the state were part of the programme.
