We will protect you – Buhari promises Shell and other oil companies, warns militants

We will protect you – Buhari promises Shell and other oil companies, warns militants

by Chi Ibe President Muhammadu Buhari today told Niger Delta militants to step down their activities and work with his government to review the Amnesty Programme managed by his predecessors. He said this when he received officials of the Royal Dutch Shell Group led by the Global Director (Upstream), Andrew Brown. He assured Shell and... Read More

Amnesty, Militants, Muhammad Buhari, Niger Delta, oil company, Shell, upstream

May 20, 2016

“After all that we have done together” | How Gov Ortom’s trusted aide was killed today

by Chi Ibe Gunmen today in Makurdi killed Denen Igbana, who was Senior Special Assistant on Security to Gov. Samuel Ortom of Benue. He was killed in the early hours of the day at his Tionsha residence. According to the leader of the community Thomas Ayakpam, the community was awakened at about 2:30 a.m. by gunshots. After... Read More

Amnesty, benue, commissioner of police, igbana, Murder, Ortom, sauel ortom, tionsha

May 10, 2016

The army says it’s a lie, it hasn’t granted amnesty to Boko Haram terrorists

The Nigerian Army has issued a statement saying that, contrary to media reports, the army didn’t grant amnesty to 800 Boko Haram terrorism. This was contained in a statement signed by the Acting Director, Defence Information, Brig. Gen. Rabe Abubakar. “The attention of Defence Headquarters has been drawn to online Media stating that 800 Boko... Read More

Amnesty, army, boko haram

April 13, 2016

#Zariamassacre: Nigerian Army must ‘come clean’ on slaughter of 347 Shi’ites – AI

Amnesty International has called on the Nigerian Army to urgently investigate the recent revelation by the Kaduna government – that 347 members of the Shiite Muslim sect were buried in mass graves. The Nigerian Army had in December 2015, clashed with the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, in Zaria, Kaduna and while several members of the... Read More

Featured, The News Blog

Amnesty, Nigerian Army, Zaria

February 15, 2016

‘We did not waste Amnesty funds’ – General Boroh

Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Program, Brigadier General Paul Boroh has denied reports alleging that he purchased official vehicles for his office worth N157 million. Boroh also said he never inflated the amount believed to have been spent on training the ex-militants between November and December of 2015. In a press statement released on Monday,... Read More

Amnesty, corruption, Niger Delta

February 11, 2016

Amnesty Office spent N12.9bn on contracts, not N48bn – Paul Boroh

The Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Paul Boroh has denied reports that the Amnesty office spent N48 billion in five months. Boroh, who is also the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, disclosed this in an interview on Thursday in Abuja. He described the reports as nothing but malicious and constructed on... Read More

Amnesty, lawmakers, Niger Delta, Paul Boroh, students

December 1, 2015

Opinion: The abandoned Rivers state students and the ridicule in foreign lands

I recently stumbled on a piece posted by a friend on Facebook about the of some ‘abandoned’ Rivers State students on government funded undergraduate scholarships at various Universities in Canada. At the moment, Canadian Universities are being owed tuition fees for about two terms, a sum amounting to about $2.5million. The scholarships were awarded by... Read More

abroad, Amnesty, Rivers State, scholarships, students

July 25, 2015

Kuku tells EFCC he is ready for probe

The immediate past special adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Kingsley Kuku has assured the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), that he was ready to assist the commission in its bid to probe the accounts of the agency under his leadership. Kuku was reacting to an invitation by the EFCC, directing him to... Read More

Amnesty, EFCC, Kingsley Kuku, Niger Delta

June 7, 2014

Theophilus Ilevbare: Fighting terrorism with amnesty

by Theophilus Ilevbare The greatest disservice we can do to the lives that are being lost to the Haramite’s machetes, guns and bombs, is to, in one fell swoop, blot away their atrocities and reward them with billions, turning Shekau and his Amirs – as he calls his generals – to the latest Tompolos, Boyloafs,... Read More

Amnesty, Fighting, opinion, Presidency, reuben abati, terrorism, theophilus ilevbare, ynaija

February 13, 2014

Reno Omokri: National conference – Preparing for a marriage and not a wedding

by Reno Omokri You see, this will afford us opportunity to prepare for the marriage where we had hitherto been prepared only for the wedding. Now that the modalities for the National Conference have been released, it is clear that this dialogue is going to be a citizens driven discourse which to every true progressive... Read More

Amnesty, bob marley, boko haram, Marriage, National Conference, nigeria, opinion, people, redemption song, Reno Omokri, wedding, ynaija

October 14, 2013

Bola Tinubu: Why Jonathan’s imposed National Conference will fail

by Bola Ahmed Tinubu The core questions to ask here is how credible, reliable and capable is the current President to be able to midwife a critical conference such as this? Will this President be sincere enough to let all the issues that are on the agenda be exhaustively discussed at the conference? Will this... Read More

Amnesty, bola tinubu, flip flop, Goodluck Jonathan, National Conference, president

September 16, 2013

Amnesty programme to wind up in 2015 – Kuku

by ‘Jola Sotubo The amnesty programme established by the Federal Government to bring an end to the crises that rocked the oil rich Niger Delta region is drawing to a close. According to the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Matters, Hon. Kingsley Kuku, the Niger Delta Presidential Amnesty Programme will be terminated... Read More

2015, Amnesty, amnesty terminated, FG, Militants, Niger Delta

August 10, 2013

Terrorism: Stop negotiating with Boko Haram, CAN tells FG

by Oge Okonkwo The Federal Government has been called upon by the Christian Association of Nigeria to disband the amnesty committee saying its continuous existence would result to working against the international community. CAN hinged its renewed call on the decision of the International Criminal Court to probe the activities of the insurgent sect, Boko Haram.... Read More

Amnesty, Arewa Consultative Forum, boko haram, CAN, christian association of nigeria, Committee, Disband, FG, Northern socio-political group

August 7, 2013

Opinion: How Asari-Dokubo became a ‘big man’

by Ebenezer Obadare …although there is a notional forswearing of violence, this is strategically counterbalanced by frequent threats to ‘return to the creeks’, as seen in the example with which I began this piece. A while ago, Mujahid Asari-Dokubo’s visceral defence of the Jonathan regime against all real and perceived enemies left many observers bewildered.... Read More

2015, Amnesty, Asari Dokubo, Ebenezer Obadare, elections, enemies, Frederick Fasheun, Goodluck Jonathan, militant, NDVF, Oodua People’s Congress, opinion, ynaija

June 6, 2013

Opinion: Jonathan’s State of Emergency and the art of war

by Dolapo Aina The amnesty deal offered by the government wasn’t comprehended by all and sundry until the declaration of military involvement. “Generals are assistants of the nation. When their assistance is complete, the country is strong. When their assistance is defective, the country is weak. When the generals are completely thorough, their plans do... Read More

Amnesty, boko haram, deja vu, Dolapo Aina, Military, opinion, President Jonathan, Special Forces, State of emergency

May 29, 2013

Opinion: Mr. President, amnesty for Boko Haram is dead and buried

by Bayo Oluwasanmi A man can be no bigger than the number of people from whom he genuinely cares. If Jonny Nash was the embedded musician to boost morale of Nigerian troops in the ongoing campaign against Boko Haram insurgents, his choice of song would have been his all time classic “I can see clearly... Read More

#SOE, Amnesty, Bayo Oluwasanmi, boko haram, Goodluck Jonathan, nigeria, State of emergency

April 30, 2013

Opinion: Boko Haram Republic – The alternative to failed amnesty

by Obinna Akukwe President Jonathan and his strategy team should look into carving territories out of these states to form a Boko Haram Republic provided that the inhabitants of the ceded territories show by reason of referendum that they prefer citizenship of a Boko Haram or Islamic Republic. Recently the Boko Haram Group of terrorists... Read More

alternative, Amnesty, boko haram, failed, Obinna Akukwe

April 28, 2013

Nigerians are amazed at Jonathan’s achievements – Reuben Abati gives it straight

by Akan Ido Dr. Reuben Abati, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, speaks with the Punch Newspapers on the achievements of the president, Goodluck Jonathan, the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Amnesty for Boko Haram militants and other issues. Read excerpts of the interview below: Some Nigerians, especially members of the opposition, are of... Read More

Amnesty, boko haram, Goodluck Jonathan, NGF, nigeria, opposition, PDP, Politics, Power, reuben abati

April 25, 2013

Michael Orodare: The resurgence of the neglected generation (Y! Politico)

by Michael Orodare They thought they were doing it right, not knowing they sat on a keg of gun-powder and their attitudes to the coming generation re-filled the keg daily. A Former Minister of External Affairs, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, recently at a lecture in Akure, the Ondo State capital said “…the real tragedy (that has... Read More

Akure, Amnesty, boko haram, Bolaji Akinyemi, Michael Orodare, nigeria, Politics, Vision 20:20:20, Y! Politico

April 24, 2013

Japheth Omojuwa: Terrorism – Force has failed (Y! FrontPage)

If we pacify those with the guns today, the same seeds that brought them to fruition will come to roost again. Whatever we do, time is not on our side. These deaths must stop! RIP to the innocent souls lost at Baga. The Nigerian government was the last institution to take a position on the... Read More

Amnesty, Baga, boko haram, Borno, force, japheth omojuwa, JTF, Niger Delta, nigeria, terrorism, Y! Frontpage

April 21, 2013

Amnesty for all! Niger-Delta bunkerers tell FG they too want amnesty

Oil bunkerers and illegal refinery operators in Niger-Delta, Saturday, demanded for amnesty and reparation from the Federal Government for them to stop oil theft in the region. They said in a statement by their spokesperson, White Tamana, obtained by Sunday Vanguard, that their call was sequel to the on-going arrangement by government to grant amnesty... Read More

Amnesty, Niger Delta, oil bunkerer, white tamana

April 21, 2013

Simon Kolawole: How the Boko Haram amnesty process started on a false footing

by Simon Kolawole There must be a well-programmed strategy to dilute the influence of extremist preachers. It will take years. But it is only after we have done this that we can sleep and snore in the knowledge that insurgency will not raise its head again. I did argue last week, if you remember, that... Read More

Aguleri, Amnesty, anambra, boko haram, Datti Ahmed, Echonwa, Emir of Borno, Goodluck Jonathan, Kogi, Mohammed Yusuf, simon kolawole, Sokoto

April 18, 2013

Opinion: Boko Haram: Will amnesty lead to peace?

by Odinkalu Chigozirim and Simon Sylvester Shanum Boko Haram members mostly are faceless which will impact negatively on the proposed Amnesty. The emerging trends of terrorism in Nigeria and the activities of the dreaded sect Jama’atu Ahlus Sunnah Lidda’awatiwal- Jihad (People Committed to the Prophet’s Teachings and Jihad) popularly referred to as Boko Haram has assumed... Read More

Amnesty, boko haram, Odinkalu Chigozirim, peace, Simon Shanum

April 16, 2013

Opinion: Zoning amnesty to (the North) Boko Haram

by Godson Ogheneochuko Despite all this, we must learn to forgive those who have hurt us and our loved ones. If we continue on the path of revenge, we will all be victims one way or the other. Nigerians have an unusual obsession with certain words and phrases – some of which are coined or... Read More

Amnesty, boko haram, Godson Ogheneochuko, north, zoning

Worsening cases of oil theft put Nigeria’s economy in jeopardy – ACN calls on FG to act

by Isi Esene The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has called on the Federal Government to curb the rising incident of oil theft in the Niger Delta region so as to prevent an eventual crippling of the economy. The ACN, through its National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, warned that the gains realised by the Niger... Read More

acn, Amnesty, Goodluck Jonathan, lai mohammed, Niger Delta, nigeria, Umaru Musa Yaradua

Where Jonathan erred on the amnesty programme – Matthew Kukah (READ)

by Akan Ido Social commentator, Bishop Matthew Kukah is of the opinion that the Federal Government made mistakes in the implementation of the Amnesty Programme initiated by the Umar Musa Yar’Adua government. In this interview with the Sun Newspapers, the clergyman spoke about the amnesty programme, the Olusegun Obasanjo government, the Christian Association of Nigeria... Read More

Amnesty, Archbishop Kaigama, Archbishop Ndagoso, Bishop Niyiring, Bishop Oliver Doeme, Bishop Stephen Mamza, CAN, Cardinal Onaiyekan, Goodluck Jonathan, kaduna, olusegun obasanjo

Opinion: Amnesty – President Jonathan is between the devil and the deep blue sea

by Festus Eriye Negotiations and amnesties are not the sort of things you offer to the likes of Shekau. What will you give him in exchange for peace? A fistful of naira in order that he renounces his belief in jihad, or repudiates his demand for Sharia law in the land? Until President Goodluck Jonathan... Read More

Abubakar Shekau, Amnesty, boko haram, Goodluck Jonathan

Amnesty, boko haram, civil war, Former Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Prince Bola Ajibola

A failed amnesty for Boko Haram may lead to the 2nd civil war – Former justice minister, Bola Ajibola

by Rachel Ogbu Former Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Prince Bola Ajibola, SAN, has urged the leaders of the Islamic sect, Boko Haram to see reasons in embracing dialogue, he also asked the government not to give in on its effort at resolving the security risks the Boko Haram problems had caused the nation over... Read More