By CrossRiverWatch Admin
Members of the Bakassi Strike Force BSF, a militant group in Cross River state have indicated their unreserved willingness to lay down their arms and embrace amnesty.
Leader of the group, Benjamin Ene, also known as ‘Humble Lion or G1’ has contacted the Cross River State command of the Department of State Service, DSS expressing their readiness to lay down their arms. They have also turned in a General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) and an AK 47 rifle to signify their readiness.
This followed series of sustained military attacks on several shrines belong to the group in the Bakassi creeks. The military raids and ensuing gun battles have led to death of several members of the group and the arrest of many others by troops from the 13th brigade in Calabar.
But a release by the Coordinator of the Joint Media Campaign Center of Operation Delta Safe, Lt. Col. Olaolu Marcellinus Daudu on Wednesday, said “Following consistent successful operation against militants and criminals by Operation DELTA SAFE, available information from Sector 4 in Cross River State indicates that Bakassi Strike Force militants, led by one Mr. Benjamin Ene, has expressed unreserved willingness to lay down arms and have contacted the Department of State Service in Cross River State through the State Government’s appointed rapporteur on amnesty to signify their readiness to hold talks on amnesty with the relevant authorities.
“To buttress this demonstration of goodwill, BSF turned in one General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) and an AK 47 rifle. The Department of State Service representatives and representatives of the rappoteur have since recovered the arms as talks are ongoing on modalities to surrender their remaining arms,” Mr. Daudu said.
He added that the Acting Commander of the Joint Military Task Force, Operation Delta Safe, Brigadier General Kelvin Aligbe, has applauded the move by the militant group to surrender and embrace peace.
According to Daudu, the Acting Commander has maintained that the military has zero tolerance for militancy and related crimes in the joint operations area and urged other aggrieved groups to emulate the BSF by embracing the reconciliatory channels open at both state and federal levels and laying down their arms.
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