Niger Delta Amnesty Programme Launched

On June 25, 2009, President Umaru Yar’Adua proclaimed an amnesty for militants in the Niger Delta, offering unconditional pardon, rehabilitation, and monthly stipends to fighters who surrendered their weapons within 60 days. Approximately 30,000 ex-militants accepted the offer and disarmed.

The programme dramatically reduced militant attacks on oil infrastructure, which had previously cut Nigeria’s oil output by one-third. Militant groups including the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) largely ceased hostilities, allowing oil production to recover.