The Federal Government has released additional N35bn for the amnesty programme of ex-militants in the Niger Delta region.

Senior special adviser on Media and Publicity to the Vice President, Laolu Akande in a statement on Saturday said the programme now has N55bn budgeted for it.

He added that the ex-militants have also been paid backlog of their stipends up to the end of 2016.

The statement reads, “In sustenance of the new understanding between the Federal Government and the oil-producing communities of the Niger Delta, the President Muhammadu Buhari administration has released additional N35B to step-up the Amnesty Programme in the region.

“Although the FG had approved a N20B allocation for the Amnesty Programme in the 2016 budget, President Buhari has now raised the funds, and as appropriated, to N55B with a recent release of additional N30B. There is also a planned release of another N5B later.

“Currently the Amnesty Office has now paid up all ex-militants backlog of their stipends up to the end of 2016.”

Azeez