PORT HARCOURT – LEADERS of the Federal Amnesty Programme of Niger Delta Vigilante, yesterday, denied a statement that Ateke Tom refused to pay  them the approved N65, 000  allowance by the Federal Government.

Leader of the group, Mr. Thompson Obubeleye, said at a news briefing,  yesterday, that “at the Amnesty Programme, we attended at Obubra, we were taught how to resist violence and maintain peace at all times and ensure safety of lives and property.

We are surprised how such members of the Federal Amnesty can become involved in such a protests as to vandalize peoples cars or cause a threat to peace in the area.

Such people are not our members and we will deny them any day. If actually they are members and observed such short payment, what they are expected to do is to identify with their leaders in their various zones to address the irregularities if there is any.”

Obubeleye described the purported protest as a calculated  attempt to dent the rising profile of Ateke Tom in the Federal Amnesty package to the youths of Niger Delta, adding that politicians were trying to use them for their political gains.