By Desire Emmanuel
Two militant groups comprising 80 members have emerged from the creeks in Cross River State and laid down their various weapons.
This followed an amnesty window given by the authorities of the Nigerian Army in the state as well as the state government who urged militants to surrender their weapons without being arrested.
So, in the early hours of Friday, January 16, a large number of militants from two camps willingly emerged from the creeks and submitted themselves for amnesty at Atimbo Rear Area, Operation OKWOK, under Akpabuyo Local Government Area of the state.
The first camp was said to have been led by ThankGod Ebikontei, also known as Ayibanuagha, who presented 39 militants for the amnesty programme while the second camp was headed by John Isaac, also known as Akpokolo. His group, popularly known as the Akpokolo Marine Forces or Border Boys, presented 41 militants.
During the exercise, a cache of arms, ammunition and other items were voluntarily surrendered by the 80 militants.
The surrendered items included three AK-47 rifles, two pump-action guns, one Mark 4 rifle, one G3 rifle, 12 single-barreled guns, ten AK-47 magazines, three speedboats, four boat power engines, one C4 charge explosive, nineteen rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition, 84 cartridges, as well as other assorted military kits, tools, locally fabricated weapons and accessories.
Upon completion of the amnesty process, the militants were formally handed over to the Rapid Response Team from the Cross River State government and are currently undergoing profiling by the Department of State Services (DSS) at Muka Sam Hotel, Ikot Ansa, Calabar, the state capital.
Speaking on the development, the Commander 13 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Brigadier General PO Alimikhena, described the exercise as a major confidence-building milestone, stating:
“This voluntary surrender and embrace of amnesty by these former militants clearly demonstrates that sustained military operations, combined with constructive engagement and strong collaboration with the Cross River State government and other security agencies, remain effective tools for restoring peace. Headquarters 13 Brigade will continue to provide a secure environment while supporting all lawful initiatives aimed at reintegrating repentant youths and ensuring lasting stability across our Area of Responsibility,” he said.
