Amnesty allowance: Panic as ex-militants protest again in Rivers

There was panic yesterday in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, when former militants stormed the major streets to protest alleged unpaid amnesty stipends.

For over three months, the ex-militants have been protesting the unpaid stipends.

They have protested the development, barricading the banks that were said to have been instructed to pay the stipends and blocking major roads in the Garden City.

The over 500 ex-militants yesterday blocked the popular Aba-Road and Ikwerre Road, causing a gridlock as they called for the immediate payment of their stipends.

Leader of the protesters, Mr Ndaka Eric, noted that the action would continue as long as the Federal Government refused to pay their allowances.


He said the former agitators were allegedly denied payment because their passports could not be found.

According to him, the passports were deliberately deleted to abandon some of the former militants.

Eric said: “The ex-militants are worried that they have not received their payment for about five months. We have been denied the payment of our stipends; we are not happy. The protest will continue until we receive our allowances.

“We are pleading with the leadership of the youth council in the state to intervene, to avoid further controversy and a breakdown of law. We will be happy if this issue is given urgent attention.”