Skip to main content

Rivers defends amnesty programme for cultists, criminals

Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers State.

Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers State.

The Rivers Government says it has no regrets initiating the ongoing amnesty programme for repentant cultists and criminals in the state.

The Deputy Governor, Dr Ipalibo Banigo, told newsmen in Port Harcourt on Wednesday that the programme was in line with the peace initiative of the state government.

The amnesty programme came under attack recently when some analysts described it as a measure to shield supporters of the state government.

The analysts asked the government to make public arms recovered from the allegedly repentant criminals to boost confidence in the process.

Banigo, however, said that the state government would not give cash to those enlisting in the programme.

He assured that government would provide responsible rehabilitation that would integrate them back into society.

She said that the essence of the programme was to ensure that the state became peaceful and safe for both residents and investors.

“We have no plan to give cash to anybody; our intention is to provide sustainable rehabilitation for them.

“To say that steps to put repentant criminals on the right path are wrong means a clear case of lack of understanding of the dynamics of peacebuilding,” she said.

The deputy governor further said that government was already implementing an economic empowerment programme aimed at empowering Rivers youth for self-reliance.

Banigo said that the government had shown reasonable concern toward stamping out cultism, crime and violence in the state.

“Shortly after being sworn in, Gov. Nyesom Wike signed into law the Rivers State Kidnap Prohibition Amendment Law 2015 and led Security Agents to demolish some criminal hideouts in the state,” she said.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Houthis Claim Attack on Central Israel in Response to Gaza ‘Massacres’

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has taken a concerning regional turn as the Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed responsibility for an attack on central Israel. The group announced this as part of their escalating response to what they describe as "massacres" in Gaza amid the Israeli military’s operations in the strip. Details of the Attack The Houthis, a Shiite militant group with ties to Iran, declared that they launched missile and drone strikes targeting Israel. While the exact impact of these attacks remains unclear, reports suggest that Israel’s defense systems intercepted several threats over its airspace. This marks a significant escalation as the Houthis widen their involvement in the conflict beyond their typical operations within Yemen and neighboring Saudi Arabia. The Houthis’ Justification In their statement, the Houthis framed the attack as retaliation for Israel’s military actions in Gaza, which they characterized as indiscriminate bombings resultin...

Fire: UniJos Senate convenes emergency meeting on Monday

Fire at the University of Jos Library University of Jos is to convene an emergency senate meeting on Monday to review the level of damage done to the institution by the Saturday night inferno. The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Sebastian Maimako, disclosed this on Sunday after inspecting areas affected by the incident. The fire, which lasted for more than six hours, destroyed the Library Complex that equally houses the faculties of management and social sciences. The fire also destroyed examination scripts, books and very crucial materials. Consequently, the vice-chancellor said “the Senate will meet tomorrow (Monday) to take a decision about the unmarked examination scripts that were burnt.” On the cause of the inferno, Maimako said investigation had commenced, adding that “nothing has been confirmed yet. We are still investigating.” The vice chancellor said the school was already working with federal authorities toward establishing a main fire station since the mini fire station in t...

NDLEA arrests 252 suspects, seizes 3,073 kg Indian hemp

NDLEA operatives The NDLEA in Niger on Monday said that it had arrested 252 suspects and seized 3,073.9 kilogramme of Indian hemp(cannabis sativa) in the state. The NDLEA Commander in the state, Mr Joseph Iweajunwa, who disclosed this in Minna, said that the operations were carried out between January and September. “Our operations in Niger State from January to September 2016 led to the arrest of 252 suspects and seizure of 3,073.997 kilogramme of cannabis sativa,’’ he said. Iweajunwa said that within the period, the agency also seized 1, 530 litres of liquid drugs, especially cough syrup with codeine. He said the NDLEA also counselled and rehabilitated 90 drug addicts in the state within the period under review. The agency, he added, secured convictions of only nine of the suspects because the judge at the Federal High Court, Minna, went on leave. “ Now that the judge has resumed more suspects will be tried,’’ he said. He advised motorists, especially commercial vehicle dri...