Unpaid stipends: Ex-militants protest in Yenagoa, JTF injures one

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Hundreds of ex-Niger Delta militants on Tuesday protested the alleged non-payment of their stipends by the Federal Government.
The protesting ex-militants began the demonstration at about 7am, blocking the Mbiama section of the East-West Road, which links the South-South region to the South-East.
Their protest paralysed vehicular movement even as pedestrians could not use the road. Not a few motorists were trapped on the road during the protest.
Respite, however, came the way of the trapped motorists when a detachment of soldiers of the Joint Military Task Force in the Niger Delta, Operation Delta Safe, stormed the scene and dispersed the protesters.
The troops later stormed the scene around 7:30am in two patrol vans and dismantled the barricades erected by the protesters.
The soldiers fired several warning shots into the air which created confusion among the protesters, forcing them to scamper for safety in different directions.
It was, however, learnt that one of the protesting ex-militants was allegedly hit by a stray bullet.
An ex-militant, Mr. Elliot Seimiebo, accused the soldiers of using firearms to disperse a peaceful protest aimed at drawing the attention of the Federal Government to the plight of the militants.
Seimiebo said, “We had renounced violence and remained peaceful in all our approaches. Our intention was to draw attention to the non-payment of our stipends for four months.
“We were not armed but the soldiers turned their weapons on us and there was confusion as people ran in all directions. One of the protesters was hit by a stray bullet in the leg.”
When contacted, spokesperson for Operation Delta Safe, Lt.-Cmdr. Thomas Otuji, said that no protester was shot.
Otuji said, “Our troops were sent to the scene to restore traffic flow and they went there to clear the barricade on the East-West Road.
“And there is no such report at my disposal as we speak. The protesters were professionally dispersed.”
Also, the Liaison Officer at the Amnesty Office in Yenagoa, Mr. Piriye Kirayamo, said that efforts were under way to pay the backlog of stipends owed the militants.
“We have been in discussion with the ex-militants and have been appealing to them to remain calm. The office is doing everything possible to ensure that their stipends are paid,” Kiyaramo said.

SOURCE.. PUNCH