ABOUT 183 former Niger Delta agitators have dragged the Federal Government to a Federal High Court in Abuja over alleged stoppage of their monthly allowance.
The 183 ex-militants, in 17 separate suits filed by their Counsel, Regina Okotie-Eboh, before Justice James Omotosho, also joined the Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) in the case.
In one of the suits, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/675/2023, dated December 5, but filed December 6, last year, an ex-agitator, Bennett Ofeyena, sought a declaration that he is entitled to the mandatory monthly stipend of N65,000 as beneficiary of Phase 2 of the PAP, initiated by the federal government, vide a Federal Government Amnesty Proclamation Notice issued in 2009 upon a truce reached between it and the ex-militants.
He also sought a declaration that the defendants’ failure and/or refusal to pay the monthly stipend of N65,000 from October 2012 till date of the suit to him as a beneficiary was illegal and unlawful.
The ex-militant, therefore, prayed for an order directing the defendants to pay to him the sum of N8,255,000.00 (eight million two hundred and fifty-five thousand naira), representing the mandatory monthly stipend of N65,000. 00 for the period from October 2012 to April 30, last year.
He sought an order directing the defendants to pay to him the mandatory monthly stipend of N65,000.00 from May last year till date, as well as an order directing the defendants to pay N5million each as the cost of filing the suits.
In the other 16 separate suits before Justice Omotosho, the ex-agitators sought same reliefs.
They told the court that they had been beneficiaries of government’s amnesty programme since 2009 when it was initiated by the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua administration and wondered why the payment of the N65,000 was stopped, despite yearly budget of over N60billion appropriated for the said programme by federal government.
Some of the plaintiffs in the suits include Oyemo Ezi, Suru Michael, Albert Tamaraudouye, Alex Sile, Allen Ikiyou, Aaron Williams, Abisere Alfred, Amuluku Daniel, Amuluku Julius, Belele Karina, among others.
When the matter between Ofeyena and former Interim Administrator of PAP, Gen. Barry Tariye Ndiomu (rtd) and Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN), listed as 1st and 2nd defendants, was called, the sole plaintiff, Ofeyena, gave his testimony as prosecution witness before Justice Omotosho.
While being led in evidence by his lawyer, Okotie-Eboh, Ofeyena adopted his witness statement on oath, which he deposed to on December 6, last year, as his evidence in court and urged the court to grant all his reliefs.
He said the federal government and the ex-agitators, including himself, reached a truce in 2009 to surrender their arms and renounce militancy, adding that he laid down a pump action riffle at the time.
He stated that in return, the federal government pledged to institute programmes to assist the beneficiaries’ disarmament, demobilisation, rehabilitation and provision of reintegration assistance to the militants.
He added that after the completion of the training programme at demobilisation camp, he was given a personal identity card of the Niger Delta Presidential Amnesty Programme and a certificate of successful completion of the demobilisation programme, as well as a certificate of participation by the United Nations (UN) Delegated Kingian Nonviolence Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation Team from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, United States (US).
Besides, he testified that he was given a unique code that was embedded in their identity cards and certificates issued to all the beneficiaries of the amnesty programme, among others, all to prove a point that he was indeed one of the beneficiaries, contrary to the defence submission.
Ofeyena, however, told the court that he was only paid the monthly stipend of N65, 000 from February 2012 to October 2012 before it was stopped.
Justice Omotosho admitted the documents tendered in evidence and marked them as exhibits.
After cross-examination by PAP lawyer, Babatunde Alajogun, and Counsel for FRN, Maimuna Lami-Shehu, the Judge adjourned the matter until May 6, this year, for the defence to open their case.
In another case, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/673/2023, by 138 ex-militants against PAP interim administrator and FRN, Oyemo Ezi, one of the witnesses, testified and after he was cross-examined by the defendants lawyers, Justice Omotosho adjourned the matter until April 23 for defence to open their case.
President Bola Tinubu had on Thursday, March 14, this year, appointed Dr. Dennis Otuaro as new Administrator of PAP.
Otuaro replaced Ndiomu, who was interim administrator of the programme since September 2022.
