AMNESTY FOR ATEKE TOM?

Leader of the Niger Delta Vigilante Group, Comrade Ateke Tom, is battle-weary. He likes addressing himself as a comrade. May be, a comrade-in-arms. But his enemies would not allow his to rest. His enemies are the Rivers State Government represented by the state governor, Chubike Amaechi ; and Joint Task Force, Operation Flush Three. Even when the “Godfather” [that is what is boys and other comrade-in –arms call him] abandoned the luxury of his home for the creeks, they are still troubling him. The godfather is now a fugitive in a domain where he was the law. When the godfather was in control, he dictates what happens in his native Okrika, who gets what, when and how much.

But now the godfather is on the run: actually his is not running because his enemies have overwhelmed him but as a war strategy to weary his opponents and give them emotional satisfaction of putting the Ijaw warrior on the run. Ateke is actually running away from the temptation of being provoked by the JTF and the reaction of his boys and followers. Ateke is running away from his homes in Okochiri and Okrika so that his enemies would not have a reason to come and killed his people and destroyed their property under the disguise that they are tryin to flush out the godfather or that the community is harbouring Ateke whom the state and security agencies have declared a criminal and a wanted man. Ateke is lying low in compliance with the advice and counsel from Ijaw leaders and elders that he should give peace a chance and allow them time to sort out his issues with the government and security agencies. Perhaps get him and amnesty. “They sent Ijaw elders to meet and urge me to maintain peace which I’m observing now,” disclosed Ateke.

Recently Senate President, David Mark and Amaechi visited Okrika and claimed that the recovered weapons and ammunitions belonging to Ateke. According to JTF: 13694 ammunitions for different caliber of weapons; 32 assorted rifles; 28 magazines for different types of weapons were said to have been found in an armoury allegedly owned by Ateke. Also there was another allegation of 150 metre underground pipeline from NNPC Jetty to Ateke private jetty and another underground pipeline from the Eleme Refinery. In all these Ateke is shouting his innocence to whoever cares to listen. The godfather wants the world to believe that these entire discoveries are attempts to give a dog a bad name in a bid to justify the hanging of the dog, in this case, Ateke. He has not denied being in possession of arms and ammunitions but has debunked claims by government and JTF that those weapons that were found belonged to him. He mocked them that they can never found the location of his armoury.


Ateke is ready for peace but he does not trust the government peace progress. Ateke alleged “I know they want to kill me, but they will never succeed. I am waiting for the outcome of the peace talk. If they are not sincere. I will make sure all developments and projects outside Niger Delta with our oil monies wil be razed down to dust.” He recalled that the government had promised to grant Leader of the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force, Alhaji Mujihad Dokubo Asari amnesty if he drops arms only to turn around and arrest, detained and prosecute the former president of the Ijaw Youth Council. Ateke told newsmen in one of his numerous camps in the creeks of Rivers State “I can only disarm when I see the signs, Asari and I have once being fooled like that when they (government) asked us to disarm and before we realized it Asari had been arrested and taken to Abuja for some years in detention.” According to him, “I am giving the negotiating team a chance to come up with workable plans. If we are not satisfied with the outcome of the negotiation, then Nigerians should notblame me. The issue is not just Amnesty and reparation for militants. There are more issues to be addressed once and for all – enough is enough!” Ateke threatened that if by he end of May 2008, his property that were destroyed by JTF are not replaced and the demands of Ijaw people met “ I bet the government will regret it.”

The godfather disclosed that currently he is not I a fighting mood. The reasons are not that his armoury is exhausted or he is tired but a response to a plea from Ijaw elders. Ateke boasted “You can testify that the tempo I planned to make Rivers state ungovernable was set aside because I listened to advice from close people I respect. I have withdrawn my plans to make my state ungovernable because it makes no sense to destroy your property because JTF and Amaechi made me angry. However, I have drawn new plan and strategy. I have many ways to express my anger and when I implement it it will affect the entire country.”

In view of the allegations against Ateke and the fact that he has been declared wanted by the security agencies, should Ateke be given amnesty? This is the question bothering the mind of some people in the Niger Delta. Amaechi has declared Ateke a common criminal and has vowed not to rest until Ateke is arrested and prosecuted. The governor has also declared that Ateke has not been granted amnesty. If, Ateke wants amnesty, Amaechi insisted he must surrender his arms. But Ateke is saying he will not give up his arms. Will Amaechi have the political will to go after Ateke in view of the fact that Ateke is like a little bird dancing on the road while those during are in the nearby bush.

An Ijaw leader who does not want his name in print told Sunday Champion that if former governors who stole billions of public funds are given the privileges of plea bargain, then there is no reason why government should not grant amnesty to Ateke if the Okrika warlord is ready to surrender his embrace peace and surrender his arms. But a government official in Port Harcourt recalled that Ateke and Asari were once declared wanted by the police. But the administration of former Dr. Peter Odili granted them amnesty and they were asked to turn in their armoury. Rather than remain peaceful and law-abiding, Ateke has acquired more sophisticated weapons and caused more havoc than before because of a notion that at the end of the day there will be no punishment for his crime against the people and the state. The official who sought anonymity pointed out that after Ateke and Asari were granted amnesty, the number of criminal gangs masquerading as freedom fighters in the state increase and the volume of violent crimes and kidnapping have gone out of proportion.

Ateke is an Ijaw warrior and war commander is a prize possession of the Ijaw nation. There an unwritten agreement that non of its militants, freedom fighters, criminals or whatever you call them should come to harm. I f any of them kill or betray a fellow Ijaw man there is a sanction. Asari, does not see eye to eye with Ateke on most issues but Asari insisted the activities of Ateke came following provocations by Amaechi. Asari declared that Ameachi has no power to declare Ateke wanted. Asari said he had spoken to Ateke that his attack on the state was unacceptable to the people, and Ateke promised him that the situation will not repeat itself. Asari declared that if Ateke attacks the Ijaw people, he would be brought to book by the Ijaws. This is a testimony that Ateke is an Ijaw warrior or general.
Chris Ekiyor, a medical doctor and President of the Ijaw Youth Council [IYC] observed that the attack on Ateke is part of the implementation of a security document on how the military intend to wipe out Ijaw communities. Ekiyor said the Ijaws are taken aback by the attack on Okochri after the president have promised that such attacks would never occur. The IYC leader said he was able to get Ateke to release six Russians that were taken hostages at the Aluminium Smelter Plant, Ikot Abasi in Akwa Ibom State. According to Ekiyor, Ateke has embraced peace as he even nominated someone to represent his group to the Presidential Peace Committee on Niger Delta. He also said that Ateke participated in all the peace process to unite all the fighting group in Okrika. Ekiyor, who said he will not discuss peace with Ateke until government shows its readiness for peace asked government to give Ateke amnesty and the wanted man will come out and contribute to the peace process in the Niger Delta. “Ateke has been with them all these years but they have not been able to get him,” Ekiyor taunted the Rivers State Government.

Leader of the Niger Delta Non Violent Movement, Onengiya Erekosima has been canvassing for Ateke to be granted amnesty. He announced that Ateke has embraced a non violent approach in the pursuit of the struggle for the emancipation of Niger Delta. According to Erekosima, Ateke officially filled the membership form of the movement. Erekosima continued that Ateke did not just joined his peace movement but asked his boys to join the movement. He insisted that Ateke is genuine and show strong resolve to discard all forms of violence.

But if the amnesty deal and peace talk failed, Ateke vowed to step up his activities. Hear him “ The solution is to address all I have put down. I have 2000 standing boys ready to go on suicided mission to actualize my drawn up plans. Nigerians should not blame me. People should advise the federal government about justice to us. All foreign oil workers that think Abuja and Lagos are safe for them to be coming and exploit us will soon realize that these two cities will be worst hit. After 200 suicide targets, we must have achieve justice and I will die a happy man.”