Some ex-militant groups in the riverine areas of Ondo State yesterday invaded the Oba-ile, Akure office of the State Oil Producing Area Development Commission (OSOPADEC) amid wild protest.
They hinged their grouse on the failure of the state government to fulfill its promise of empowering them after submitting their arms since November last year.
The protesters set bonfire and blocked motorists from gaining access to OSOPADEC office, while workers were barred from operating in their offices.
It took the effort of mobile policemen who shot sporadically into the air to disperse the protesting ex militants before normalcy was restored to the area.
The militant groups described the amnesty programme organized by the Ondo state government between November 9 and November 21 last year as a sham.
The militant groups are the United Sea-wolf Avengers, Awaja Camp, Niger Delta Militant Vanguard, Dragon and Lion Camp.
The groups were led to the OSOPADEC office by their leaders – General Deji Williams (United Sea-wolf Avengers), General Seamaco(Awaja Camp), General Ebiee(Niger Delta Militant Vanguard), General Mayowa (Dragon Camp) and General Bbanju (Lion Camp).
They started their protest at the OSOPADEC office on Thursday accusing the Deputy Governor, Agboola Ajayi of allegedly allotting slots to his friends, allies and political family.
According to them, instead of using the amnesty programme to achieve peace in the riverine area, Agboola is using the exercise to build structure for his Senatorial ambition.
The militants threatened to return to the creeks, if the state government refused to honor its own part of the agreement.
They urged President Muhammadu Buhari to send his men to the state so as to ensure that due process is followed and nepotism does not rule over sanity.
However, the state government described the protesters as ‘’ bunch of disgruntled jobless youth masquerading as ex-militants’’.
The sate’s Commissioner for Information, Mr .Yemi Olowolabi said the amnesty has not only been lauded in the state, but recommended as model for other Niger Delta states.
Olowolabi said over 4,000 ex-militants were registered into the amnesty program but the Amnesty Office in Abuja sent 1,000 forms leading to rationing of the forms among the various camps.
The commissioner said the number of those protesting were insignificant to those who have submitted arms to the amnesty office.
In his reaction, the Police Public Relations Officer(PPRO) Femi Joseph said some of the protesting militants have been arrested and would be charged to court after investigations have been concluded.
He said in spite of the pleadings by the state commissioner of Police, Gbenga Adeyanju who was personally at the scene to make peace with the protesters, they still went ahead with violent destruction of properties and breach of peace.
Joseph said the police had to use minimum force through smoke to drive them out of OSOPADEC premises when they were becoming a nuisance.
