Former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Chibudom Nwuche has called on the Federal Government to grant amnesty to repentant cultists and militant youths in the Orashi region of Rivers State who are ready to lay down their arms and pursue peaceful livelihoods.
Nwuche, who chairs the Governing Board of the South-South Development Commission, said the programme should include rehabilitation, reorientation and reintegration so that the youths can become productive members of society and help restore security to communities that have suffered killings and widespread criminality.
He made the appeal through his representative, Chief Kingdom Ajugo, at the opening of the 2026 Upata Folklore festival in Ula Upata, Ahoada East Local Government Area, on Tuesday. The Orashi area covers Ahoada East, Ahoada West, Abua/Odual and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni local government areas.
Nwuche expressed concern over the worsening security situation in Ahoada and other parts of the region. He recalled the killing of the then Divisional Police Officer, CSP Bako Amgbashim, describing him as a dedicated and gallant officer. He noted that repeated appeals to the Rivers State government for an amnesty programme had yielded no action.
He therefore urged the Office of the National Security Adviser, headed by Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, to consider an amnesty scheme for those willing to abandon violence. He also appealed directly to youths still involved in cultism, kidnapping, robbery and other crimes to stop and accept the offer of reintegration.
“Those who are still carrying guns and killing our people indiscriminately should stop and accept amnesty and be ready to be reintegrated into society,” he said.
Nwuche stressed that the predominantly farming and trading Ekpeye people should be able to go about their legitimate businesses without fear or harassment. He said hundreds of Ekpeye people had lost their lives to cult-related violence over the years and insisted the cycle must end. Traditional rulers, community leaders, government and residents must work together so that Ekpeye land does not remain a haven for criminals, he added.
He also called on Ekpeye traditional rulers to provide exemplary leadership and urged the people of Upata to support their monarch, Eze (Dr.) Felix E. Otuwarikpo, Eze Igbu Upata III, in preserving the kingdom’s cultural heritage. The annual Upata Folklore, he said, remains an important platform for promoting unity and culture after the harvest season.
On politics, Nwuche advised the people of Ekpeye to vote wisely in the 2027 general elections and support politicians who have demonstrated commitment to the area’s development. He expressed support for President Bola Tinubu’s second-term bid and the political platform linked to FCT Minister and former Rivers State governor Nyesom Wike. He said he would later tour Ekpeye and the wider Orashi region to mobilise support for the coalition, citing projects executed during Wike’s tenure as governor that had benefited the area.
The festival opening drew traditional rulers, chiefs, community leaders, women and youth groups, students and representatives of Ahoada East and Ahoada West local governments. It featured cultural displays, traditional dances, goodwill messages and the presentation of gifts.
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