Pressure is mounting on Nigeria’s Federal Government to release the negotiated N80 billion compensation for Agge Community in Bayelsa State, as stakeholders warn that any further delay could threaten the fragile peace achieved in the Niger Delta over the past decade.
Community leaders said the compensation stems from military operations carried out in Agge Community, Ekeremor Local Government Area, in 2008 and 2009, during which residents alleged that lives were lost and homes, schools, churches, markets and farmlands were destroyed.
The affected community subsequently sued the Federal Government and senior military authorities. In December 2023, the Federal High Court in Yenagoa awarded N110 billion in damages. However, after negotiations between government officials and community representatives, both sides agreed to an out-of-court settlement that reduced the amount to N80 billion.
Leading the appeal, community leader Goodluck Ebiere urged the Federal Government to conclude the payment process, saying local leaders have spent years calming frustrated residents and youths who have continued to wait for justice.
Another representative, Chief Friday Seaman, called on the government to honour the settlement reached after extensive negotiations, describing it as a crucial step toward lasting peace and reconciliation.
Official documents indicate that the Ministry of Defence has requested the Ministry of Finance and the Coordinating Minister of the Economy to release the N80 billion after the settlement was reportedly omitted from an earlier list of approved payments.
Stakeholders argued that although the Presidential Amnesty Programme introduced in 2009 helped reduce violence and restore stability in the Niger Delta, many communities still face unemployment, environmental degradation and unresolved grievances.
According to them, the Agge compensation has become a symbol of justice for affected residents, who believe the funds would help rebuild destroyed infrastructure, restore livelihoods and strengthen confidence in government institutions.
The stakeholders warned that failing to implement the negotiated settlement could create avoidable tensions in a region that hosts much of Nigeria’s oil and gas infrastructure.
They urged the Federal Government to act without further delay, saying the payment would not only resolve a long-running dispute but also reinforce peace-building efforts and help prevent renewed instability in the Niger Delta.
