Nov. 29, 2009 (Xinhua News Agency) -- Roundup: Amnesty to militants offers Nigeria huge success in Niger Delta Roundup: Amnesty to militants offers Nigeria huge success in Niger Delta

by Olatunbosun Awoniyi

LAGOS, Nov.29 (Xinhua) -- The Nigerian government offered amnesty to gunmen this June in the oil-rich Niger Delta region, urging them to lay down their weapons by Oct. 4 in a bid to end the unrest which has cost the African top oil exporter billions of dollars in revenue.

Over 8,000 Nigerian armed youths gave up their weapons and embraced the amnesty offered by the Nigerian government in the most concerted effort yet to end years of fighting in the oil-rich producing region.

Jailed leader of Nigeria's major militant group in the oil-rich region, Henry Okah, was the first to embrace the amnesty package after the case against him was withdrawn by the Nigerian federal government. Nigerian President Umaru Yar' Adua agreed to drop the charges against Okah after the militant accepted the government's unconditional amnesty.

The resounding success of the amnesty's package to the militants operating in the Niger Delta region is leading the way to progress in the troubled region.

Early this year, the militant's activities disrupted the country's economy and scared away potential investors. The armed youths in thousands continue in bringing the country down from its position as the continent's top oil exporter and leaving in their wake untold destruction with dire economic consequences for Nigeria.

A military operation spearhead by the Joint military task force (JTF) in southeast Nigeria's Delta State dislodged the stronghold of key militant groups in the region.

But the death toll and dislocation of indigenes caused by the military action provoked more attacks and the government expressed concerns over the escalating tension in the troubled region which has impacted negatively on the nation's revenue.

Nigeria's major militant group in the oil rich Niger Delta region, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) , in its style launched several attacks on international oil facilities in southern Nigeria as part of its campaign to get what it calls a fairer distribution of the region's oil wealth to local people.

The group carried out an unprecedented attack on the Atlas Cove Jetty in Nigeria's commercial hub of Lagos, killing at least five people.

The attack was the first one in which gunmen from Nigeria's oil rich states raided a target in the country's commercial capital.

The jetty is the main entry point for ships entering Nigerian waters from the west and for oil tanker to load.