FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA PRESIDENTIAL AMNESTY PROGRAMME DISCLAMER

  The Presidential Amnesty Office wishes to alert Nigerians about the activities of unscrupulous individuals trying to con undiscerning Niger Delta youths with a forged document now in circulation.   The Amnesty Office has discovered that the authors of the phony document, purportedly signed by both the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta/Chairman of the Presidential Amnesty Programme and its Legal Adviser, have used it to dupe unsuspecting Niger Delta youths under the guise of enlisting them in the ‘Third Phase’ of the Federal Government Amnesty Programme for former agitators in the Niger Delta (See attached letter).   It is necessary to clarify that the mandate of the Amnesty Office did not include disarming of repentant agitators and it did not participate in the process of their handing over of arms.   The disarming of former agitators was done under the supervision of the military and the security high command in the country. This ended since October 4, 2009, which was the deadline for the surrendering of arms by the repentant youths.   The Amnesty Office hereby distances itself from the conduct of such exercise as claimed in the fake document.   It also wishes to restate that it has not commenced a Third Phase of the Amnesty Programme as it has not received such directive from the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.   Security agencies have been notified about the circulation of the forged document and they have swung into action to arrest the perpetrators.   The Amnesty Office urges Niger Delta youths, who might see the amnesty programme as a meal ticket, to seek other avenues of empowerment. The programme cannot go outside its mandate, which is to engage, train and reintegrate the 26,358 former agitators that have already been demobilized and documented.   The Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Chairman, Presidential Amnesty Programme, Hon. Kingsley Kuku, not only remains committed and focused but has also kept faith with the mandate to train, empower and reintegrate all amnesty beneficiaries.   The amnesty programme is indeed on course!   SIGNED     DANIEL ALABRAH HEAD, MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS PRESIDENTIAL AMNESTY OFFICE ABUJA