MOSIEND Demands Tinubu’s Intervention Over 2,000 Amnesty Slots

The Movement for the Survival of the Izon Ethnic Nationality in the Niger Delta (MOSIEND) has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene in the alleged exclusion of 2000 ex-agitators of the Egberepapa Camp/Niger Delta Liberation Force from the Presidential Amnesty Programme for 17 years.

In a statement signed by its National President, Kennedy Tonjo West, the group said the prolonged exclusion, despite an alleged senate committee recommendation for their inclusion, could undermine peace and stability in the Niger Delta.

West said the affected persons laid down their arms under the federal government’s amnesty initiative but had allegedly remained outside the programme since its inception. “Seventeen years is far too long for any legitimate grievance to remain unresolved,” he said.

MOSIEND said its demand followed a petition by the Egberepapa Camp to the Presidency, which reportedly referenced proceedings of the 9th National Assembly and a Senate Committee recommendation concerning the allocation of 2,000 slots to the group.

The organisation called for an independent review of relevant parliamentary records, beneficiary lists, allocations and fund utilisation to establish what happened to the alleged slots. West questioned the criteria used to exclude the affected ex-agitators, asking, “If slots were approved, where did they go? If beneficiaries were excluded, on what criteria?”

MOSIEND urged the Presidency to verify the identities and eligibility of the affected ex-agitators and accommodate those found qualified within the existing framework of the Presidential Amnesty Programme.

The group also called for the publication of the history of slot allocations under the programme in line with the Freedom of Information Act and a clear, time-bound process for resolving the grievance.

West appealed to Tinubu and the National Security Adviser to act, warning that continued inaction could create wider security concerns in the Niger Delta.

He said the demands were not intended to embarrass the federal government but to strengthen confidence in the amnesty programme. “Peace cannot be sustained by asking people to remain patient indefinitely while legitimate grievances go unresolved,” he said.

MOSIEND said it would continue consultations with the affected ex-agitators and other stakeholders and could engage the National Assembly and relevant institutions if the Presidency fails to address the matter.