We Are Not Involved In The Plot To Attack CBN Branches - EX-Militants

Former Niger Delta militants, under the auspices of the Second Phase Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Saturday, distanced themselves from a report that they threatened to attack branches of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) over unpaid stipends.

The ex-militants, however, pleaded with the Federal Government to pay their three months arrears of outstanding stipends.

The Chairman of the phase in Bayelsa State, Ebina Salvation, in a statement urged President Muhammadu Buhari to view the amnesty programme as a security programme.

He said the amnesty programme brought the fragile peace in the region lamenting that the delay in the payment of stipends to ex-militants was heating up the region.

The ex-militant leader pleaded with the government to release adequate funds to the Amnesty Office for effective implementation of the programme.

He discountenanced his from a statement purportedly written by factional leader of the programme, Stephen Ebisintei, who allegedly threatened to shut down all CBN branches.

Salvation maintained that the Amnesty Office under the leadership of Boroh was doing well and therefore should not be blamed for the delay in the payment of their stipends.

He said: “We, therefore, describe the allegations of the faction as false, baseless, mischievous and wicked. The allegations lack substance and should be thrown to the dustbin of history by all right thinking persons.

“We, therefore, urge members of the group to discountenance Stephen Ebisintei’s display of falsehood which is a figment of his imagination and that of his co-travellers.”

Salvation added that the CBN is not Amnesty Phase 2 Office but a bank accountable and rendering services to all Nigerians, both nationally and internationally.