Hundreds of former Niger Delta militants blocked one of the key routes linking the North and the South near Lokoja as they headed to Abuja to stage a protest yesterday, causing a traffic gridlock for many hours.The militants said they were on their way to Abuja to protest what they called non-implementation of the amnesty programme and to also ask the Federal Government to begin the implementation or else they would take arms and return to the creeks.Police intercepted the militants at a check point at the former Jamata Toll Gate at Koton Karfe, 20 kilometres to the Kogi State Capital, as they drove in a cavalcade heading to Abuja in luxury buses, mini buses and cars.Daily Trust learnt that the militants reached the point in the early morning hours where the police asked them to return to where they were coming from but they refused. This made traffic to build up gradually.The incident caused heavy traffic jam for over eight hours along the Lokoja-Abuja highway, which links most parts of the North with the southern part of the country. A team of Army and Police personnel later came to the rescue of the travellers and cleared the obstructions by about 1pm, but it took many more hours for free flow of traffic to be restored on the road.Daily Trust learnt that the militants are leaders of various groups from Edo, Delta, Rivers, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states.One of them, who identified himself as General Ramsey, told journalists that they were on their way to Abuja to meet with the President Goodluck Jonathan to register their displeasure and also give a four-day ultimatum to the government to implement their part of the amnesty deal.At the time the militants were blocking the highway, Jonathan was at the commissioning ceremony of the Customs College in Gwagwalada, Abuja, less than 200 kilometers away from the toll gate.'The government asked us to come out of the creeks and lay down our arms which we did, but since then the government has not fulfilled their own part of the bargain but keep promising us. While we have embraced the amnesty programme, the Federal Government is frustrating us by refusing to pay us and we don't want to go back to the creeks or pick up arms.'The 1,600 militants en-route to Abuja are all generals who have foot soldiers under them who had equally laid down their arms. Now, the foot soldiers are skeptical of the excuses we are giving them because they believe we have collected money from the government and only come back to deceive them,' he said.Ramsey said the militants graduated from the rehabilitation training by December last year but that they have yet to be paid and government officials kept asking them to wait. 'We have written several letters but to no avail,' he said.'Now, we are giving four days ultimatum to the Federal Government to fulfil their side of the bargain. Our boys are angry and they want to go back to the creeks and we are tired of holding them back. So we want Nigerians and the whole world to know that the Federal Government is frustrating the amnesty programme and the militants.''We did not block the road, it was the police that blocked the road and prevented travellers from moving freely on the road,' he added.Kogi State Commissioner of Police, Amana Abakasaga, who confirmed the incident, said police intercepted the militants because of the security implications of allowing such a large number of people to get into the Federal Capital.Road users lamented the difficulty caused by the traffic gridlock. Ikechuwu Obi, who was traveling from Kano to Onitsha, said he was caught up at the Murtala bridge since 1am yesterday and was yet to see any chance of passing through to his destination. He blamed the police for the gridlock, saying if they had allowed the militants to go to Abuja since they were not armed, the trouble would have been averted.Another traveller who only gave her name as Joy told our reporter that she was expecting to reach Enugu by 6am but as at 11am she was still in Lokoja.Hawkers made brisk business along the way yesterday, selling a sachet of water at N10 instead of N5 due to high demand.The highway was opened and traffic was freely moving by yesterday evening.They're not ex-militants, FG says.Meanwhile, the Federal Government yesterday, through the Presidential Adviser on Niger Delta, Mr. Kingsley Kuku, said the youths who blocked the highway were not ex- militants.Kuku, who is also chairman of the amnesty implementation committee, told journalists in Abuja that they were just restive youths seeking for empowerment and employment.'Most, if not all of these persons agitating to be included in the amnesty programme, do not belong to any known former militant camps in the Niger Delta,' he said. 'They are just Nigerian youths truly seeking avenues for empowerment, training or employment.'He condemned the blockade of the Lokoja- Abuja highway, saying, 'I completely deplore and repudiate the method being adopted by these persons seeking inclusion in the amnesty programme, claiming to be ex-militants.'Their style is offensive and could be easily be regarded as blackmail while their actions clearly breach national security and thus must be condemned by all right thinking Nigerians.
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