Jonathan recounts unarmed visit to militants’ camp during Niger Delta peace talks
Former President Goodluck Jonathan has revealed that he risked his life by entering a militant camp in the Niger Delta without armed security while serving as vice president in a bid to broker peace in the region.
Jonathan disclosed this on Monday while delivering the chairman’s address at the De Mangrove Conversation held at the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board Conference Hall in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
The event was organised in collaboration with the Bayelsa State Government, the Niger Delta Development Commission, the NCDMB, Renaissance Africa Energy and the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation.
Reflecting on his involvement in the Niger Delta crisis, Jonathan said his experiences as a scientist, governor, vice president and president provided him with a deep understanding of the environmental and developmental challenges facing the oil-rich region.
He recalled that while serving as vice president, he personally led negotiations with militants and insisted on visiting one of their camps despite warnings from security operatives.
According to him, the militants had informed his team that no one carrying weapons would be allowed into the camp and that any attempt to do so could lead to violence.
Jonathan said the Commissioner of Police and the State Director of the State Security Service advised him against proceeding with the visit, but he remained determined to pursue peace.
He explained that he instructed all security personnel in uniform not to accompany him into the camp and directed his Chief Security Officer and Aide-de-Camp to surrender their weapons before the meeting.
The former president said he and his team walked through lines of armed militants before holding discussions that lasted about one and a half hours.
He noted that the negotiations marked a turning point in the peace process and eventually contributed to the establishment of the Niger Delta Amnesty Programme.
Jonathan stressed that sustainable peace and development in the Niger Delta can only be achieved through addressing environmental degradation and decades of neglect in the region.
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