Amnesty Stipend Storm: Bedridden Ex-Agitator Allegedly Cut Off For 5 Years As Dressman Demands Urgent Probe Into Ogunbos Camp
By Passman Akpos
Former Niger Delta agitators who surrendered their weapons under the Presidential Amnesty Programme are raising fresh allegations of prolonged non-payment, alleged diversion of stipends and neglect of sick beneficiaries, with Commander Ratiy Dressman calling for an urgent investigation into the handling of payments linked to the Ogunbos Camp.
The former fighters say they surrendered their weapons with the expectation that the government’s rehabilitation and reintegration programme would provide them with a pathway to a more stable life. However, they allege that some beneficiaries have instead been left battling poverty, illness and prolonged financial hardship
Commander Ratiy Dressman, described as a senior former agitator, alleged that several registered beneficiaries connected to his former unit have not received their monthly Amnesty stipends since 2013. He is therefore demanding that the Presidential Amnesty Office investigate the payment records of affected beneficiaries and establish where their allowances have been going.
At the centre of the allegations is Paul Eris, popularly known as Ogunbos. Dressman and other affected former fighters allege that Ogunbos has exercised significant control over the distribution of payments meant for members of the camp.
One of the cases highlighted in the allegations involves Clinton, identified as a former camp driver who served under Ogunbos during the militant era. According to the complainants, Clinton has reportedly been seriously ill for about five years and is currently unable to walk or speak.
His family is said to be struggling to provide the medical care required for his condition. The former fighters allege that despite his condition, his Amnesty-related stipend is allegedly being processed through a payment arrangement associated with the camp without the money reaching him directly.
The allegations reportedly extend beyond Peremabiri to neighbouring communities, including Diabu, where some former fighters claim they have been excluded from financial benefits they believe they are entitled to under the Amnesty Programme.
The former fighters further allege that although the official monthly stipend is ₦65,000 per beneficiary, some beneficiaries who allegedly receive payments through the system controlled by Ogunbos are given only about ₦30,000 or ₦40,000, with the remaining balance allegedly withheld.
They also allege that beneficiaries who challenge the arrangement risk having their payments stopped.
These claims have not, however, been independently established, and the affected parties and relevant authorities would need to provide payment records and other evidence to determine whether any beneficiary funds were improperly withheld or diverted.
Beyond the stipend controversy, the former fighters accuse Ogunbos of of continuing to exercise considerable influence over affairs in Peremabiri long after the militant era.
According to the allegations, loyalists were allegedly installed in influential positions, allowing Ogunbos to maintain control over opportunities and resources available to members of the community.
The former fighters also allege that when oil companies provide small employment opportunities intended for community youths, some indigenous youths are allegedly bypassed in favour of workers brought in from outside the area, including Calabar.
Another allegation concerns a community development project reportedly awarded by Agip to Peremabiri for the construction of accommodation for National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, members.
The former fighters allege that Ogunbos took control of the project and that materials and funds meant for the construction were allegedly diverted toward the development of a private residence.
They further claim that community members eventually mounted resistance over the alleged diversion and succeeded in reclaiming the property, which they say was subsequently secured as government property.
The allegations, if established, would raise serious questions about the administration of benefits intended for former agitators who were demobilised under the Presidential Amnesty framework.
Commander Dressman and other affected former fighters are therefore calling on the Federal Government and the Presidential Amnesty Office to intervene immediately.
Among their demands is a comprehensive audit of stipend payments connected to the affected beneficiaries over the past 13 years, including an examination of payment records, beneficiary accounts, deductions and persons authorised to receive or distribute the funds.
They are also demanding that future stipends be paid directly into individual bank accounts belonging to verified beneficiaries rather than through intermediaries or camp-controlled arrangements.
Dressman further called for urgent humanitarian intervention for critically ill former fighters, particularly beneficiaries such as Clinton, whose reported condition has left him dependent on his family for basic survival.
The former fighters say the purpose of the Amnesty Programme was to move former combatants away from violence and toward rehabilitation, reintegration and economic stability.
They are now asking the authorities to determine whether that promise is being fulfilled in their case.
For former fighters who surrendered their weapons and expected a second chance, the growing complaints raise a fundamental question: Are all verified Amnesty beneficiaries actually receiving the benefits allocated to them, and who should be held accountable if government payments meant for vulnerable ex-agitators do not reach them?
The allegations against Paul Eris, popularly known as Ogunbos, require an opportunity for him and the relevant authorities to respond. A transparent investigation, backed by bank records, Amnesty beneficiary databases and payment documentation, could establish what happened to the alleged unpaid stipends and determine whether any funds were improperly withheld.
