Avengers surrender arms, ammunition to Okorocha

Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) of Imo State extraction, who had hitherto held the state  through pipeline vandalism , on Wednesday, stormed the Government House, Owerri,  in trucks, where they  surrendered their arms and ammunition, to Governor Rochas Okorocha and all security chiefs in the state.

The ex-militants stormed  Owerri, at  mid-day, with white T-shirts, bearing  the inspiration  “Disarmament of agitators powered by the Niger Delta  Youths  Volunteer Peace Advocacy, condemned  oil companies  operating in the  area   for their insensitivity to the plight  of the   people.

In the presence of top security agencies comprising the police, army, DSS and the deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Okorocha, who is the chairman of the disarmament committee and an indigene of the Ohaji Egbema  council area, Kingsley Uju, who had earlier received the ex-militants,  said that the ceremony was in response to the mandate given to his committee by Governor  Okorocha to   solve  the problem  of  youths restiveness  in  oil bearing Ohaji/Egbema and Oguta Local Government areas  of the state.

Uju lamented that since 1953 when oil  firms   commenced operations in  the area, they had failed to address  the  yearnings and aspirations of the indigenes, hence, the frequent outburst of youths restiveness.

The youth, who later spoke through their respective leaders, accused the multi-national companies of  neglecting them and    urged the  Federal Government as well as the state   to prevail on the oil companies  to urgently address their grievances  and called for the release of their members  in detention.

Governor Okorocha, after receiving the surrendered arms and ammunitions, commended them for their rare display of patriotism and assured that security agencies  would no longer invade their areas adding  that, their demands, grievances and agitations would be  addressed soon.