Fresh Amnesty Crisis: Ex-Agitators Allege Otuaro Embarrassed Tompolo, Ateke Tom, Boyloaf, Farah Dagogo Over Phase One Appointment
...Coalition Rejects Aroni Oputu's Emergence, Demands Immediate Reversal as PAP Leadership Backs Harmonisation Agenda
By Passman Akpos
YENAGOA, BAYELSA — A fresh crisis appears to be brewing within the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) following allegations by a coalition of Concerned Niger Delta Ex-Agitators that the Administrator of the programme, Dr. Dennis Burutu Otuaro, embarrassed prominent leaders of the Niger Delta struggle through the alleged recognition of Gen. Aroni Oputu as Phase One Chairman.
The allegations emerged shortly after a harmonisation meeting held on July 16, 2026, in Abuja between the Presidential Amnesty Programme Administrator and chairmen representing the programme’s various phases.
The meeting, according to an official communiqué signed by the Phase Chairmen, focused on strengthening collaboration, promoting peace, improving beneficiaries’ welfare, supporting educational and vocational programmes, and establishing continuous dialogue between beneficiaries and the PAP leadership.
During the meeting, the chairmen reaffirmed their support for Dr. Otuaro’s reforms and urged beneficiaries to remain peaceful, united and law-abiding while rejecting misinformation capable of causing division within the programme.
The communiqué identified Gen. Aroni Oputu as Phase One Chairman, alongside Gen. Ibena Rufus Salvation (Phase Two), Gen. Preye Ekpebide (Phase Three) and Gen. Elaye Slaboh.However, the recognition of Oputu has triggered strong opposition from another group of ex-agitators.
Addressing journalists after the development, spokesperson of the Concerned Niger Delta Ex-Agitators, Tare Deseimoh, rejected Oputu’s alleged appointment, insisting that leadership of Phase One should remain exclusively for individuals widely recognised as frontline commanders during the Niger Delta armed struggle.
According to Deseimoh, Oputu has no publicly known record of commanding any militant camp or participating as a frontline commander during the height of the Niger Delta agitation.
“By doing this, Dennis Otuaro has insulted everyone, including all our established leaders. He has insulted leaders like King Ateke Tom, Gen. Boyloaf, Farah Dagogo and even Tompolo. These are people whose roles in the struggle are publicly known. But Aroni is completely unknown in the struggle,” he alleged.
The coalition challenged the Amnesty Administrator to publicly provide evidence identifying Oputu’s operational camp and role during the agitation.
The group argued that the identities of recognised frontline commanders remain well documented across the Niger Delta and warned that recognising individuals whose credentials are disputed could distort the historical structure upon which the Amnesty Programme was built.
Deseimoh further alleged that some individuals with criminal backgrounds who later benefited from the programme were accommodated under rehabilitation initiatives associated with Phase Two and Phase Three rather than among the original frontline commanders represented in Phase One.
To support their position, the coalition referenced previous public remarks attributed to former militant leader Gen. Boyloaf, who reportedly maintained that although the Amnesty Programme eventually accommodated different categories of beneficiaries in the interest of peace, only genuine commanders of the armed struggle should occupy leadership positions in Phase One.
They also recalled the appointment of Pastor Reuben during the administration of former PAP Chairman Kingsley Kuku, arguing that the appointment attracted broad acceptance because he was widely recognised as an active participant in the Niger Delta struggle.
The aggrieved ex-agitators demanded the immediate withdrawal of Oputu’s alleged appointment and called on Dr. Otuaro to publicly apologise, warning that altering what they described as the historical structure of the programme could generate fresh tension among beneficiaries.
They also appealed to the Federal Government and relevant security agencies to review the concerns raised and ensure that leadership appointments within the Presidential Amnesty Programme reflect what they described as the programme’s historical foundation.
Meanwhile, the official communiqué issued after the Abuja harmonisation meeting presented a different picture, with the recognised phase chairmen pledging total support for the Administrator’s reform agenda and reaffirming their commitment to dialogue, unity, peace and institutional stability within the programme.
As of the time of filing this report, Dr. Dennis Burutu Otuaro and the Presidential Amnesty Programme had not publicly responded to the specific allegations made by the Concerned Niger Delta Ex-Agitators regarding Oputu’s emergence. Their response will be published if and when it is received.
Editor’s Note: This report contains allegations and countervailing positions. The claims made by the Concerned Niger Delta Ex-Agitators have not been independently verified by Tarakirivoice, and the official communiqué from the harmonisation meeting reflects the position of the Presidential Amnesty Programme phase chairmen.
