No fewer than 183 former Niger Delta agitators have filed a lawsuit against the federal government at the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court over allegations bordering on alleged stoppage of their monthly allowance.

The 183 ex-militants, in 17 separate suits filed by their counsel, Regina Okotie-Eboh, before Justice James Omotosho, also joined the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) coordinator in the matter.

In one of the suits marked FHC/ABJ/CS/675/2023, dated December 5, 2023, and filed December 6, 2023, an ex-agitator, Benneth Ofeyena, sought a declaration that he is entitled to the mandatory monthly stipend of N65,000 as a beneficiary of Phase 2 of the PAP.

He said the programme was initiated by the government via a Federal Government Amnesty Proclamation Notice issued in 2009, following a truce between the agitators and the government.

He also sought a declaration that the defendant’s failure or refusal to pay him the monthly stipend of 65,000 from October 2012 to date as a beneficiary is illegal and unlawful.

Therefore, the ex-militant prayed for an order directing the defendants to pay him the sum of N8,255,000.00 (eight million two hundred and fifty-five thousand naira), representing the mandatory monthly stipend of N65,000. 00 for the period from October 2012 to April 30, 2023.

He sought an order directing the defendants to pay him the mandatory monthly stipend of 65,000.00 from May 2023. Mr Ofeyena sought an order directing the defendants to pay N5 million each as the cost of filing the suits. 

In the other 16 separate suits, the ex-agitators sought the same relief. They told the court that they had been beneficiaries of the government’s amnesty programme since 2009 when it was initiated by the late President Umaru Yar’Adua’s administration. 

They wondered why the payment of the N65,000 was stopped despite the yearly budget of over N60 billion appropriated for the said programme by the federal government.

In the 16 other suits, some of the plaintiffs include Oyemo Ezi, Suru Michael, Albert Tamaraudouye, Alex Sile, Allen Ikiyou, Aaron Williams, Abisere Alfred, Amuluku Daniel, Amuluku Julius, Belele Karina, among others.

When the matter between Mr Ofeyena and Maj-Gen. Barry Tariye Ndiomu (retd.), ex-interim administrator of PAP and the federal government, listed as the first and second defendants, was called. The sole plaintiff, Mr Ofeyena, testified as a prosecution witness before Justice Omotosho.

While being led in evidence by his lawyer, Mr Okotie-Eboh, Mr Ofeyena adopted his witness statement on oath, which he deposed to on December 6, 2023, as his evidence in court and urged the court to grant all his reliefs.

He said the government and the ex-agitators, including himself, reached a truce in 2009 to surrender their arms and renounce militancy.

Ms Ofeyena told the court that he laid down a pump action rifle at the time. He said that in return, the government pledged to institute programmes to assist the beneficiaries in disarmament, demobilisation, rehabilitation, and reintegration assistance to the militants.

He said after the completion of the training programme at the demobilisation camp, he was given a personal identity card of the Niger Delta Presidential Amnesty Programme and a certificate of successful completion of the demobilisation programme.

The United Nations Delegated Kingian Nonviolence Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation Team from Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, also awarded him a certificate of participation.

Besides, he testified that he was given a unique code embedded in their identity cards and certificates issued to all the beneficiaries of the amnesty programme, among others. He said all these were to prove he was one of the beneficiaries, contrary to the defence submission.

Mr Ofeyena, however, said he was only paid the monthly stipend of N65,000 from February 2012 to October 2012 before it was stopped.

The judge admitted the documents tendered in evidence and marked them as exhibits.

After cross-examination by PAP lawyer Babatunde Alajogun and counsel for Maimuna Lami-Shehu, the judge adjourned the matter until May 6 for the defence to open their case.

Also, in the sister case marked FHC/ABJ/CS/673/2023, between 138 ex-militants against the PAP interim administrator and the government, Oyemo Ezi, one of the witnesses, testified. After the defendants’ lawyers cross-examined him, the judge adjourned the matter until April 23 for the defence to open their case.

President Bola Tinubu appointed Dennis Otuaro as the new administrator of PAP on Thursday.

Mr Otuaro replaced Ndiomu, who had served as interim programme administrator since September 2022.

(NAN)