Aggrieved ex-militants vow to open cans of worms on fake militant camps, fraud in Amnesty

Hundreds of ex-militants under the second phase of the amnesty programme have resolved to back the ongoing verification exercise embarked upon by the Major-General Barry Ndiomu-led administration of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP).

The group also vowed to open up on the existence of fake militant camps used in diverting amnesty funds for the programme by some individuals.

It was gathered that ex-militants under the second phase of the programme said they are not against the ongoing verification exercise by the interim administrator, Major-General Barry Ndiomu (rtd), they, however, want the authorities to take a look at the cause of the incessant conflict between ex-militant leaders and the Amnesty Office.

The group said the major problem is the existence of a fraudulent system in which fake militant camps are formed with the accumulation of names.

The executive members of the Second Phase Presidential Amnesty Beneficiaries―led by its chairman, Paul Johnson, vice chairman, Taye Amaebimo, secretary, Passman Akpos, and publicity secretary, Gift Agamene―in a letter to the interim administrator of PAP, pointed out that they don’t have any problem whatsoever with the ongoing verification as far as it will bring the desired result.

“But with the direction it is going, it will cause more havoc than good,”

They also claimed that such fake militant camps include Ingia-Wuru camp, IceLand, NDFF, Oran, Egberi camp, Alamini Freedom Fighter 120, Fouchef camp, Kalawo Camp, Usigbe, Aguda, BFF camp, Tobi Camp, Osuo Camp, Benuwolo Camp, Ezekiel Camp, Kenneth Opusi gi, Ateke Tom, T.K Press, Evan Camp, Bayloaf, Perekeme Evan Camp 2, Ebi Camp and K Group.

“These and more are evidence,” according to them, are camps formed to syphon monies in the program, “causing pains and aborting the direction of the programme.”

They also declared their readiness to back the process, declaring that the verification will bring the desired result, calling on the interim administrator, Maj. Gen. Ndiomu to take a review of the list of 6,166 beneficiaries under the second phase with only 5,186 paid from inception which necessitated a special sharing among ex-militants that were not covered under the Amnesty payment