Amnesty: Presidential Panel Absolves JTF … Says Criminal Elements Won’t Enter Communities

The presidential Panel on Amnesty and Disarmament of militants in the Niger Delta has said that there was no iota of truth in the claim that the Joint Taskforce, JTF, was preventing persons displaced during its operations from returning to their villages.

The chairman of the presidential panel and minister of Interior, Major General Godwin Abbe (rtd) said this in Abuja in a statement on the progress of his panel’s work and a meeting with stakeholders in Port Harcourt.

He said that contrary to the report, the JTF in compliance with the directive of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua was doing everything possible to facilitate the rehabilitation of the affected communities and their inhabitants to ensure that displaced persons were assisted to settle as quickly as possible in their homes.

Gen Abbe explained that the Taskforce was taking necessary steps to keep criminal elements from taking advantage of the situation.

The Director-General, Citizen and Leadership, Training Centre, Ambassador Yusuf Aliyu unfolded the plans in Abuja.

Ambassador Aliyu said the training is to empower the youths as agents of change in their various communities.

He said the training would instill in the youths, the spirit of patriotism.