Port Harcourt – A prominent religious leader in the Niger Delta has called for a major overhaul of the Federal Government’s amnesty program for former militants, describing the current practice of absorbing them into the nation’s security architecture as a “ticking time bomb.”
Reverend Eugene Ogu, the immediate-past Chairman of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) for Rivers and Bayelsa States, made the call on Saturday while speaking to journalists in Port Harcourt. His comments, as reported in the Saturday, November 8, 2025, edition of Punch Newspaper, urged the government to immediately remove all so-called “repentant” militants from the armed forces, police, and other security agencies.
Instead of bearing arms for the state, Ogu proposed that these individuals should be redirected into extensive agricultural training programs, specifically in farming, which he termed a more sustainable and peaceful vocation.
A Flawed Strategy for National Security
Reverend Ogu argued that the policy of integrating former combatants into the very institutions tasked with maintaining law and order is fundamentally flawed and poses a significant risk to national security.
“The current practice where individuals who took up arms against the state are drafted into our army, police, and other paramilitary outfits is a recipe for disaster,” Ogu stated. “You cannot expect a man trained in the art of insurgency and pipeline vandalism to suddenly transform into a disciplined agent of the state. It creates a conflict of interest and compromises the integrity of our security forces.”
He expressed concerns that the presence of such individuals within the ranks could lead to internal sabotage, leakage of sensitive intelligence, and a continuation of militant loyalties within formal structures.
Agriculture as a Path to Sustainable Reintegration
The cleric proposed a comprehensive alternative focused on deradicalization and economic empowerment through agriculture. He emphasized that the fertile lands of the Niger Delta region present a golden opportunity for meaningful reintegration.
“What these individuals need is not a uniform and a rifle, but a hoe and a seedlings,” Ogu asserted. “The government should establish intensive agricultural training centers in the region. Let us train these young men in modern farming techniques, aquaculture, and animal husbandry. Provide them with starter packs, land, and continuous support to become successful agripreneurs.”
He framed this approach as a “win-win” solution, which would not only provide the former militants with a legitimate and dignified source of livelihood but also boost the nation’s food security and diversify the economy of the oil-rich region away from its dependence on petroleum.
Context: The Presidential Amnesty Programme
Reverend Ogu’s critique is directed at a long-standing component of the Nigerian government’s Amnesty Programme, which was initiated in 2009 to curb unrest in the Niger Delta. A key aspect of the program’s Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) phase has been the integration of thousands of former militants into various vocational fields, with a subset being absorbed into the security services.
While the government has often pointed to this as a success story in reducing violence and providing employment, critics like Ogu have consistently highlighted the potential dangers. Security analysts have previously raised alarms about the moral and professional implications of the policy, questioning the vetting processes and the psychological readiness of ex-militants for such roles.
A Call for Urgent Action
Reverend Ogu concluded his address with an urgent plea to the Federal Government to review the program immediately.
“I am calling on President Bola Tinubu and the National Security Adviser to, as a matter of national urgency, review this policy. Let us demobilize these men from the security agencies and mobilize them to the farms. True peace in the Niger Delta will not be achieved by putting arms back in their hands, but by putting tools of production in them. Let us heal our land by turning swords into ploughshares.”
As of the time of the report, there has been no official response from the government or the coordinators of the Presidential Amnesty Programme to Reverend Ogu’s provocative recommendations. The call, however, is expected to reignite public debate on the effectiveness and long-term security implications of the nation’s reintegration strategies.
