Rivers State Grants 2,000 Cultists, Kidnappers And Armed Robbers Amnesty

Please what's your take on the indiscriminate manner of granting criminals, kidnappers, cultists and armed robbers amnesty in Nigeria? Does this mean their sins are forgiven, in effect they won't be prosecuted for any of the heinous crimes they have committed? Is amnesty not supposed to take place after convictions must have been secured? Having been granted amnesty without conviction, these blokes whould just waltz and sin no more? Is this not an encouragement to other criminals or would-be criminals that 'nothing dey happen, that they too will get away with their crime?' 

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Punch Newspaper reports that about 2,000 cult members on Saturday embraced the amnesty declared by the Rivers State Government.

The cult members, who were involved in kidnappings, killings and armed robberies in the past, surrendered their weapons before members of the state Amnesty Committee in Isiokpo, the headquarters of Ikwerre Local Government Area of the state.

Some of the weapons surrendered by them included AK 47 rifles, G3, dane guns, dynamite, NATO gun and detonators.

Speaking shortly after receiving weapons from the repentant militants, the Chairman of the Amnesty Committee, Mr. Ken Chinda, explained that peace was expected to return to Ikwerre council area after the event.

Identifying the cult groups as Iceland and Debam, Chinda charged them to not to go back to crime, adding that the state government was sincere about helping them to achieve their dreams.

Chinda warned that soldiers would fish out militants that refused to accept the amnesty declared by Governor Nyesom Wike.

He also declared two of the cult leaders, Samuel Nkasiobi, aka Italian, and Okechukwu Amadi, aka Gunboat as enemies of the state for refusing to accept amnesty.

“We are all witnesses to what some misguided youths have done in Ikwerre LGA where people are predominantly farmers. Many could not farm because the militants are living in the forest where their farms are located,” Chinda added.

He urged them to shun acts capable of discouraging investors from doing business in the state.

Earlier, the Caretaker Committee Chairman of Ikwerre LGA, Mr. Samuel Nwanosike, explained that with the repentance of the cult members, farmers would be free to work on their farms.

The council chairman said the two cult leaders, who refused to accept the state government’s amnesty, would be declared wanted after a week.

He added that the sum of N10m would be paid to anybody that could give any information on their whereabouts.

Culled from: Punch Newspaper