Niger Delta stakeholders have urged the Federal Government to immediately release the N80 billion compensation negotiated for Agge Community in Ekeremor Local Council Area of Bayelsa State, warning that further delay could trigger fresh youth restiveness and threaten peace in the oil-rich region.

The stakeholders said the compensation, arising from a Federal High Court judgment regarding military operations in the community in 2008 and 2009, should be treated as a priority, given its implications for security and stability in the Niger Delta.

Leading the call, one of the community leaders appealed to the Federal Government to bring the matter to a close, noting that community leaders had spent years managing frustrations among affected residents and youths.

Similarly, a community representative urged the government to honour the negotiated settlement reached after extensive discussions between community representatives and federal officials.

Their intervention follows the emergence of official documents indicating that the Ministry of Defence has requested the Ministry of Finance and the Coordinating Minister of the Economy to release N80 billion to settle the judgment debt arising from Suit No. FHC/YNG/CS/187/2022, Fred BebeseImiekumor& 3 Ors vs the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

In a letter signed by the Defence Minister, General Christopher Musa (retd.), the ministry disclosed that the N80 billion settlement was inadvertently omitted from an earlier list of outstanding presidential approvals forwarded to the Ministry of Finance for payment.

The ministry subsequently requested the inclusion and payment of the sum to settle the debt. The stakeholders warned that unresolved grievances remain a major challenge to lasting peace in the Niger Delta despite the relative calm achieved since the introduction of the Presidential Amnesty Programme in 2009.

They noted that while the amnesty initiative significantly reduced armed conflict and boosted crude oil production, underlying issues such as unemployment, environmental degradation, and feelings of marginalisation among host communities persist.

According to them, the Agge compensation matter has become a sensitive issue within the community, with many residents viewing the settlement as a pathway to rebuilding lives, restoring damaged infrastructure and supporting local development.

They argued that timely payment of the compensation would reinforce confidence in government institutions and demonstrate respect for agreements reached through lawful processes.

“There is a need for the Federal Government to finalise the Agge Community matter without further delay. The settlement was negotiated, agreed upon and has gone through the required processes. What remains is implementation,” a source familiar with the negotiations said.

The case originated from claims by Agge Community residents that military operations carried out on August 4, 2008, and December 5, 2009, resulted in loss of lives and widespread destruction of homes, farmlands, schools, churches, markets and other property.

The community subsequently instituted legal proceedings against the Federal Government and senior military authorities. In December 2023, the Federal High Court in Yenagoa awarded N110 billion damages in favour of the community.

Following negotiations involving representatives of the Federal Government and the community, the parties agreed to an out-of-court settlement of N80 billion, reducing the original judgment debt by N30 billion.

Minutes of the negotiations show that both sides agreed to recommend the settlement figure to the Federal Government for approval and payment.

The stakeholders commended the Federal Government’s efforts to improve public finances and settle outstanding obligations, stressing that the Agge compensation issue carries significant security implications.

They warned that any perception of abandonment or failure to honour the settlement could create avoidable tensions in a region that hosts critical oil and gas infrastructure. According to them, releasing the negotiated compensation would not only bring closure to a dispute that has lingered for years but also strengthen peace-building efforts across the Niger Delta.

They therefore called on the Ministries of Finance and Defence to expedite payment and prevent a situation that could undermine the fragile stability achieved in the region over the past decade.