Amnesty programme: Investigative panel on looters inaugurated

The federal government has promised to unmask and prosecute the perpetrators as well as sponsors of the mindless looting of Amnesty Program empowerment starter-packs meant for distribution to impacted communities in the Niger Delta.

Speaking yesterday in Abuja at the inauguration of a Special Investigative Panel to probe the invasion and looting at the central warehouse of the Presidential Amnesty Programme Vocational Training Centre in Kaiama, Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, Special Adviser to the President and Coordinator, Prof. Charles Dokubo said perpetrators of the nefarious act who also vandalized property at the training facility about three weeks ago, deserve severe punishment in accordance with the nation’s laws.

The Special Investigative Panel is chaired by S.A. Songonuga, a retired Brigadier-General, and has Mr. Dodoye Aripko (DSS), CSP Paddy Ogon (Police); Mrs. Ene Cynthia Ogbe, and Pastor Reuben Wilson, as members. Mr. Unyime Eyo will serve as secretary.

The panel terms of reference include to ascertaining the remote and immediate causes of the incident and identifying persons remotely and directly connected with the looting and vandalisation of the facility.

The panel will also ascertain the exact cost of training equipment, empowerment start-up packs and other looted items, as well as appraise the security situation in the training centre prior to the looting, and ascertain if the incident could have been prevented.

Others are: to ascertain culpability or otherwise of security personnel, the staff of the Amnesty Office or contractors in the looting of the facility; prescribe requisite punishments or sanctions for persons found culpable in the criminal act.