A coalition operating under the banner of Niger Delta Concerned Youths for Change has issued a strong demand for justice, transparency, and accountability in the management of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), accusing its current leadership of pervasive corruption and mismanagement.
The group staged a protest on Thursday, July 17, 2025, at the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Abuja, displaying placards with bold inscriptions alleging grave financial misconduct by Mr. Dennis Otuaro, Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs and Coordinator of the Amnesty Programme.
The protesters accused Otuaro of transforming the initiative, originally designed to rehabilitate and empower former militants in the oil-rich region, into what they described as a “private business empire” driven by personal enrichment and political favoritism.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Comrade Lion Ogorry stated that previous petitions had been submitted to the EFCC, detailing alleged acts of “massive corruption, reckless mismanagement of public funds, and the awarding of dubious contracts to cronies and unqualified firms.”
“The Amnesty Programme was created to restore hope and promote peace in the Niger Delta,” Ogorry said.
“But instead of delivering meaningful empowerment and development, the programme under Mr. Otuaro’s leadership has become a vehicle for enriching a privileged few at the expense of the region’s youth.”
The coalition called on the EFCC to commence an immediate, comprehensive investigation into all financial dealings, contract awards, and operational activities undertaken during Otuaro’s tenure.
They also urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene decisively, warning that continued mismanagement of the programme poses a serious threat to the fragile peace in the Niger Delta.
“It’s time to act,” Ogorry declared. “We cannot sit idly by while corruption robs our youths of their future. We demand urgent action, transparency, accountability, and justice must prevail.”
Launched in 2009, the Presidential Amnesty Programme was conceived as a strategic initiative to disarm, rehabilitate, and reintegrate former Niger Delta militants.
While it initially contributed to stabilizing the region, it has frequently come under scrutiny over transparency lapses and unmet commitments to beneficiaries.
As calls for reform intensify, there is growing pressure on the federal government and anti-graft agencies to take meaningful action and ensure the programme fulfills its original mandate of fostering peace, development, and inclusive empowerment across the Niger Delta.
