Jonathan Reveals Dangerous Sacrifices He Made To Restore Peace In Niger Delta

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has recounted how he risked his life by visiting a militant camp in the Niger Delta without armed security in a bid to broker peace in the region.

Jonathan made the revelation on Monday while delivering the chairman’s address at the De Mangrove Conversation, held at the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) Conference Hall in Yenagoa. The event was organised in collaboration with the Bayelsa State Government, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), the NCDMB, Renaissance Africa Energy and the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation.

Reflecting on his time as vice president, Jonathan said he insisted on meeting Niger Delta militants face-to-face despite strong opposition from security officials, who warned that the visit posed a serious threat to his safety.

According to the former president, the decision helped build trust with the militants, laying the foundation for dialogue that eventually led to the Niger Delta Amnesty Programme and lasting peace in the region.

Jonathan noted that his experience as a scientist, governor, vice president and president gave him a broad understanding of the Niger Delta’s longstanding challenges.

He stressed that addressing environmental degradation and decades of neglect remains essential to sustaining peace and development in the oil-rich region.

He said, “As Vice President, I was tasked with negotiating peace in the Niger Delta. I had to visit all the militant camps, including the well-known Camp One, whose members were responsible for attacks on oil facilities.

“When I arrived in Warri with my security team, the militants sent a message that they were willing to receive me, but no one was to come with a weapon. They warned that if any member of my team was armed, there would be an exchange of fire.

“The Delta State Commissioner of Police and the State Director of the SSS both advised me not to go, but I insisted. I told them there must be peace and development in the Niger Delta.

“I ordered everyone in uniform not to accompany me into the camp. Only my Chief Security Officer and Aide-de-Camp followed, and I instructed both of them to surrender their weapons to the Commissioner of Police and the SSS Director before we proceeded. I told them if we returned alive, they could retrieve their guns and we would head back to Abuja.

“When we got to the camp, young men armed with different rifles stood in two lines. We walked between them to the meeting venue. That is a story for another day.

“The meeting lasted about one and a half hours. After we returned to Abuja, events began to unfold. That engagement eventually led to the Amnesty Programme for Niger Delta militants, which remains in place today. That was the beginning of lasting peace in the Niger Delta.”