THERE are indications that some of the arms and ammunition surrendered by the ex-militants originally belonged to the Federal Government. Those arms, it was alleged, were either stolen, bought from the services or seized by the militants during clashes with men of the armed forces, the Nigerian Tribune has gathered.

According to the Nigerian Tribune source in the Joint Task Force (JTF), though some of the arms were bought by the militants at the market, most of them were “either stolen or bought from the police, military or the SSS.”

It will be recalled that some officers of the Nigerian army were jailed some months ago for selling arms to militants in the Niger Delta region. These revelations were coming five days after the expiration of the Federal Government’s amnesty to militants in the restive Niger Delta region.

It is, however, a case of discordant tunes as regards what the Federal Government intends to do with the arms recovered from the ex-militants, just as the Federal Government has reportedly set up a high-powered verification committee to examine the arms collected from the militants with a view to identifying their possible sources.

A source in the amnesty committee had said that: “In any disarmament process, arms recovered are usually destroyed; this case won’t be different. After the necessary documentation in Enugu, all arms collected will be destroyed.”

But to the JTF source, not all the arms will be destroyed. “It is not possible to just destroy all arms; remember that some of the arms recovered belong to the services, including the police, are you saying that if any arm is confirmed as belonging to the army, navy or police, such will also be destroyed? It is not possible. That is the reason why the president has just set up a competent committee to examine all arms collected and verify the source of each of the arms and ammunition,” the source said

However, Defence Minister, General Godwin Abbe, who doubles as the chairman of the Amnesty Implementation Committee (AIC), said the collection of weapons from the militants was still in progress, and that the nation would be properly briefed on what government intended to do with the arms.

The AIC may brief the press to give the nation details of arms recovered from the ex-militants, their classifications, as well as the total number of disarmed militants. It was, however, not known if the committee would tell the nation what government intended to do with the recovered arms.

“The process is still on. Until we finish with it, it will be difficult to tell you what government intends to do with the arms, or do you want us to give the arms to journalists (laughs)?” Abbe said.

Meanwhile, President Umaru Yar’Adua has directed governors of the oil-producing states to effectively key into the post-amnesty preparations, Nigerian Tribune has learnt.

The president’s directive to the governors, according to a highly placed source in the presidency, would be given to them at a meeting between the president and the governors in the next few days to work out modalities on the way forward.

“In the next few days, governors of the region will meet with the president to chart the way forward; I can assure you that one of the cardinal issues to be discussed is that of the commission to perform specialised roles, like they have in Ondo and Delta states.

“The truth is that the president has directed that the governors properly key into the post-amnesty process in order to enhance a smooth operation during the period; just wait for details after that meeting,” the source said.

As part of the measures to ensure a peaceful Niger Delta during the post-amnesty period, the Federal Government was said to be considering the immediate but phased implementation of the report of the Ledum Mittee-led Niger Delta Technical Committee.

Leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), Chief Government Ekpomupolo (Tompolo), who fully accepted the presidential amnesty and formally disarmed on Sunday, had given the implementation of the committee’s report as a roadmap to peace in the region.

http://www.tribune.com.ng/08102009/news/news1.html

yes of course,

They are all from government, directly or indirectly.

What some people are surrendering were Arms given to them by Corrupt Nigeria Government Lead by a half dead man just for a Show,
Freedom Fighters Armouries are intact, and more sophisticated ammunition's just arrived.
The fight for Freedom and Justice will go on.
Some Commanders that decided to step aside have been replaced  by New Commanders and are ready to strike immediately Supreme Commander Jomo give the go ahead.

Na so, passi passi, ini ini, corner corner, sidei sidei, the question is who did the runs inside FG

what to do with the arms? Open gun shops and sell to the public so as to bridge the gap between the have
and the have-nots in all spheres of our societal life.

sandee575:

what to do with the arms? Open gun shops and sell to the public so as to bridge the gap between the have
and the have-nots in all spheres of our societal life.

Supported.

@sandee575
Motion Seconded

so, you want to become a militant too?

Why does this news not surprise me? If the police can sell guns to arm robbers, why can't the military sell guns & ammunition to militants?
Remember na Naija we dey & anything goes.

Why does this news not surprise me? If the police can sell guns to arm robbers, why can't the military sell guns & ammunition to militants?
Remember na Naija we dey & anything goes.

I dont what the big deal is anyway afterall Niger delta militants,nigeria military including the fg are all militants,

oh my goodness

Hmm, this is terrific news. People in service selling arms to militants?!

Nezan:

Hmm, this is terrific news. People in service selling arms to militants?!

People in service do not sell arms. it is the various incumbent governors and politicians that smuggle arms into the country. whenever election season approaches, there are a growing number of small/sophisticated arms racketeers across africa making a profit selling arms to various government/militant/private and rebel groups across africa. it is a hugely profitable market and there is always a willing BLACK African nation eager to buy these messengers of death to kill their own brothers and sustain their corrupt relevance in politics.

The grade of weapons on display are not the kind the Nigerian Military will want to equip her soldiers with in Peace-Time Nigeria before some young Captain starts having any ideas of a coup against a comatose leadership. BIAFRA did not get her guns from the Nigerian Military, they had Germans, Italians and the British supplying them with arms and intelligence.

Sad thing about this situation is that the Security infrastructure in this our dear nation is restricted to arresting celebrity Bank directors, guarding highly-placed political God-fathers, collecting cheap tolls on our check-points, leasing equipment to robbers and running armored convoys for weddings and Bank deposits

but while is it a shock to us,do the militants manufacture weapons?they simply buy them from who wants to sell and some of the officers are simply business men/women.

@abidex. 9ja? Undefine. Incase anyone there know d road 2 western world, catch me on 'glojnr@gmail.com'

Tribune has come again with one of its stories from its many, many source and already people are beginning to rewrite the article. It said some of the weapons were gotten from the military and police. Stolen, bought and made away with during attacks. Where did it state that someone in the Federal Government sold these weapons to them?

And by the way, Tribune is not saying this as a fact, they are claiming that a little bird whispered to them.

It is better they join it to the one they have, destroy it for what?

The volume of arms returned is alarming.
Now i see why christians have to continue praying for this country
Only God could have saved a society with that much arms in the wrong hands from tearing apart.
Even now, we donk know if they surrendered all the arms in their possession

The volume of arms returned is alarming.
Now i see why christians have to continue praying for this country
Only God could have saved a society with that much arms in the wrong hands from tearing apart.
Even now, we donk know if they surrendered all the arms in their possession

Mcaudrey:

The volume of arms returned is alarming.
Now i see why christians have to continue praying for this country
Only God could have saved a society with that much arms in the wrong hands from tearing apart.
Even now, we donk know if they surrendered all the arms in their possession

You forgot to mention quality, man if our police were fully equipped with these arms, we won't dare argue or even slap them when they ask for toll-fee

I'm not even sure that these people surrendered all their weapons. Some must still be stashed somewhere in case the govt doesn't keep their end of the amnesty deal!!!

Fuckedup country. breakup we no break, unite we no unite. carry walking corpse put for aso rock all of us don turn to zombie. even ghana don take us dey do yeye!

now the in thing is naija-must-go. Ghana-must-go don turn to ghana-has-arrived!

useless country with useless leaders!

amnestyas a country have failed,had it been the country will take electricityand education serious as they took armnesty program the country would have made one step forward.my humble suggestion is that nigeria should wake up,effectively utilise the oil fund to development the entire country before technology makes crude oil useless as it happened to coal.

chivo:

amnestyas a country have failed,had it been the country will take electricityand education serious as they took armnesty program the country would have made one step forward.my humble suggestion is that nigeria should wake up,effectively utilise the oil fund to development the entire country before technology makes crude oil useless as it happened to coal.

You obviously don't understand the Niger Delta problem or the reason Nigeria is still so messed up. Every state needs to develop itself instead of bullying minorities. Nigeria is blessed with gold, precious stones, tin, Uranium and vast human resources; why should the whole country perch on the Niger Delta?
Why aren't other minerals being exploited? For us in the Niger Delta, we might as well blow up every last oil well because while all of the country is being developed, our areas are getting bleeped up with oil in our drinking water (even tap water), oil killing crops in farms, killing fish in the water, pollution causing respiratory decease, cancer, skin problems etc.

mess Nigeria.

@topic
Weapons have been obtained by any and every means in the Niger Delta. Only a small fraction have been returned (according to Asari, less than 25%). The structure of the country is wrong, every state needs to be able to produce something and to own what they produce.
In fact, we need more weapons.

nex:

It said some of the weapons were gotten from the military and police. Stolen, bought and made away with during attacks. Where did it state that someone in the Federal Government sold these weapons to them?

sometimes i wonder at some people. you said, tribune said, weapons were gotten from the military and police, either by being bought or stolen, and you still go ahead and contradict yourself by asking stupidly where did it state federal goverment sold the weapons, so police and military is your village goverment abi? remove that benin city under your name!!!

it is quite clear where this arms come from, and very true that the creeks is still awash with weapons, and the onus is on the federal goverment to for once do the right thing, but like i always say, they will always Bleep up. the niger delta crisis is very very far from being over, and you all know that.

@BEAF, which part of Nigeria is developed besides Abuja and Lagos and maybe Portacourt?

if you ask me ,i will say that private bussiness men with al ot of money should use this opputunity and get able-bodied men,so as to relieve the FG of the heavy load of a lot of repentant millitants

okunoba:

@BEAF, which part of Nigeria is developed besides Abuja and Lagos and maybe Portacourt?

I was responding to a post.

If all states didn't have to go to Yar Adua for money like almajiri's, the whole country would be developed. We are blessed enough.
Centralising the source of money is the reason for corruption and everybody wanting a govt job to "make it".