14th October, 2016
Over 100 youths on Friday renounced membership of cult groups in Eberi, Omuma Local Government Area of Rivers.
Mr Iheanacho Chile, Leader of Iceland cult told newsmen after his group submitted their guns in Eberi, headquarters of the local government, that they were involved in crime because of unemployment.
Chile said that they would not return to their former ways again and thanked the Rivers Government for granting them amnesty.
Mr Richard Amadi, Leader of Dey Well cult, apologised to the people of Omuma on behalf of other groups that they were sorry for all the atrocities they committed against them.
Amadi said that he was delighted over another opportunity in life to draw closer to God and make good use of his life.
He commended Gov. Nyesom Wike for graciously conceiving and implementing the amnesty programme for Rivers youths that had gone astray.
Leader of the Osisikanku cult, Mr Okuchi Onyemachi, said that his group would not abuse the rare opportunity offered them.
Mr Ken Chinda, Chairman, Rivers Amnesty Committee, urged the youths to show true repentance and not to return to crime.
“I am in Eberi with my committed members to grant you amnesty to have a new lease of life, to reform you, so that you will be useful to yourselves and the society.
“Note that amnesty is not a leverage to continue in criminality. It is to give you another opportunity to live a good life and be useful,” he said.
Chinda, who is also Special Adviser on Amnesty to Gov. Wike, emphasised that the law would catch up with any of the youths that would go back to commit crime.
“The security agencies will go after you and deal with you. I assure you that by then, you will not have this opportunity.
“I am also using this opportunity to call on cultists, who are yet to embrace the amnesty to come and do so in the next 48 hours or have themselves to blamed,” he said.
Mr Nwaiwu Chisom, Chairman, Caretaker Committee of the local government, thanked Wike for introducing the amnesty programme.
He said that the state would now have lasting peace.
Arms and ammunition submitted were 13 dane guns, eight locally made pistols, 18 cartridges, among others.