206 repentant militants undergo biometrics capturing in Akwa Ibom

Israel Umo

Two hundred and six repentant militants from Etim Ekpo and Ukanafun local government areas of Akwa Ibom State have undergone biometrics capturing.

The essence is to generate alternative livelihoods for militants, who surrendered arms to having improved livelihoods and peace building in Akwa Ibom.

Initiated by Leadership for Initiative for Transformation and Empowerment (LITE Africa), the programme is supported by EU/ECOWAS Small Arms & Light Weapons (SALW) Control Intervention for Nigeria.

The repentant militants were seen queuing up in batches, collecting forms with the title “Skills Mapping”, while others were sitting, and filling them while a resource person was lecturing them on how to fill the forms at Ibom Hall Grounds, Uyo on Tuesday.

Recall that the militants from Ukanafun under the guidance of the State Police Command laid down and surrendered arms to Akwa Ibom Government on September 23, 2018 at Central School, Ikot Akpa Nkuk.

The militants from Etim Ekpo surrendered their arms to the government on October 8, 2018.

The Coordinator of the repentant militants, Ekong Udom, said though the capturing was done to identify the repentant ones for easy management, European Union is profiling to see the areas the body could fix the militants to acquire skills for themselves.

Udom said the state government would soon sponsor a similar programme for them, lamenting that more than 200 others from the two local government areas are yet to undergo biometric capturing.

Asked if the skills acquisition programme will get them out from social vices, he explained “No one is a criminal in nature. The programme will help to reduce restiveness among them once the militants are trained and empowered. Since the vices are packed in the youths, the programme will help them to channel their energy to other useful areas.

“The basic challenge among the youths is unemployment and if the government can train them to acquire skills, there would be exit routes. Let the government train and empower them meaningfully to dissuade them from engaging in cult and other crime-related activities.”

Meanwhile, reasons have been given for the escalation of reported cult war in some parts of Oruk Anam and Ukanafun Local Government Areas resulting in gruesome killing of persons.

A source that wanted to remain anonymous told the online newspapers that “One of the reasons for the renewed crisis is caused by payment of N500,000 monthly for the settlement of the repentant militants in Etim Ekpo and Ukanafun. This money is paltry considering the number of persons to be paid monthly. At times, a person collects N500 this month while in another month, he is paid N1,000.

“For four months now, the money has not been paid. The leaders of the various groups are angry. More than 50 of them had died- some in Correctional Centres while in detention but some died in the bush.”

According to the source, “Another reason is that since the militants laid down arms and surrendered, the government has not fulfilled its pledge of rehabilitating them. No debriefing has been done. To worsen the matter, some of the militants have returned to live in the same community they terrorised.”