“I hereby grant amnesty and unconditional pardon to all persons who have directly or indirectly participated in the commission of offences associated with militant activities in the Niger Delta.” The above was the statement made by the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua on 25th June, 2009 during the proclamation of presidential amnesty for Niger Delta militants. The decision was indeed a bold and pragmatic step taken by the then Federal Government towards fulfilling its avowed commitment of bringing enduring peace, security, stability and development to the Niger Delta region. Recall that the Niger Delta militancy ravaged the Nigerian upstream petroleum sector between 2004-2009, bringing it to a standstill. In June 2009, the late Umaru Yar’Adua signed an offer of unconditional Presidential Amnesty Program (PAP) for militants operating in the Niger Delta. Amnesty in the Niger Delta region can be traced back to 1967 when the Yakubu Gowon regime pardoned the Niger Delta Volunteer Force (NDVF) – including its leader, Isaac Adaka Boro – for the insurgency fomented by the group in 1966.

Source: Nigerian Tribune December 15, 2021 06:46 UTC