By Isiaka Oyibo

LOKOJA- SCORES of former militants across Niger-Delta states, Thursday, held motorists hostage at Murtala Mohammed overhead bridge on Abuja road in Kogi State, in protest over what they described as the alleged insensitivity of the Federal Government to their welfare.

The militants, using over 100 buses, stormed the bridge as early as 8am and held up traffic along the bridge, burning tyres and smashing some vehicles whose drivers attempted to beat the barricade.

They insisted that President Jonathan must listen to them by implementing the amnesty agreement reached with them or be ready for more untoward happenings.

Truckloads of armed policemen and soldiers, who were at the scene of the barricade, made frantic efforts to break the barricade with teargas but the militants held on for hours.

State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Amana Abakansanga, who confirmed the development to Vanguard said, however, normalcy had been restored as a team of security personnel have been drafted to curtail the situation.

A motorist, Mr. Timothy Yusuf, who was held up at the bridge by the militants for almost 8 hours, told Vanguard: “President Jonathan should, for the sake of God, address militancy and Boko Haram issues as quickly as possible before it degenerates further.”

Ramsey, one of the former militants, who identified himself as a ‘General’, said they were on their way to Abuja to meet with the President to register their displeasure and also to give him four days ultimatum to implement his part of the amnesty programme.

He said: “The government asked us to come out of the creeks and lay down our arms which we did. But since then the government has not fulfilled their own part of it but keeps promising us.

“While we have embraced the amnesty programme, the Federal Government is frustrating it by refusing to pay us and we don’t want to go back to the creeks or pick up arms.

“We are giving four days ultimatum to the Federal Government to fulfill it side of the bargain. Our boys are angry and they want to go back to the creeks. We are tired of holding them back.”