Ex-Niger Delta-Militants Protest Nonpayment Of Their Amnesty Allowances, Barricade East-West Road

FROM IGNATIUS OKPARA – Ex- Niger Delta-militants protest nonpayment of their allowances, barricade East-West road.

Irked by the refusal of the amnesty office in Abuja to pay them their allowances, dozens of ex- Niger Delta militants, on Thursday, barricaded the Mbiama axis of the East-West Road to drive in their demands.

The group, led by the Bayelsa State 3rd Phase Amnesty chairman, Ebi John, stormed the road as early as 7am and barricaded the road, thereby causing heavy gridlock on the highway.

The aggrieved youths were seen singing war songs demanding the payment of their allowances.

The timely intervention of military patrol vans and two Armoured Personnel Carriers, APCs, saved the day.

Our Correspondent gathered that soldiers were said to have shot into the air many times to disperse the youths from the road.

Addressing newsmen, leader of the group, accused the amnesty office of insensitivity to their plights, adding that the office and the Accountant-General were deliberately delaying their allowances.

According to him, they had earlier gone to Abuja to lodge the same complaint but the Amnesty office used soldiers to chase them away.