A militant leader in the creek of southeast Nigeria's Rivers State, Solomon Ndigbara, Friday surrendered his weapons to the Nigerian federal government, the News Agency of Nigeria reported Saturday.

The weapons are two Ak-47 assault rifles, five LAR rifles, three pump action guns, one locally made pistol, eight empty magazines, two loaded magazines, 13 live cartridges and 1,000 rounds of live ammunition.

The Inspector-General of Police, Mike Okiro, received the weapons from Ndigbara at a ceremony at Yeghe, Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers.

The police chief said Ndigbara's action had shown that he had embraced the government's amnesty to militants in the Niger Delta.

"If a leader can surrender the arsenal at his disposal in response to the government's proclamation of amnesty, it means we can make a head-way," he said.

Okiro said if other militants emulated Ndigbara's action, the issue of militancy in the region would be a thing of the past, stressing that the government had mapped out a full package aimed at rehabilitating those who surrendered their weapons.

He added that the amnesty package is for those who want to go to school, while those who want to go into business would be assisted.

"Those who want to go into trade will also be assisted by the government," he said.

Okiro said he would brief President Umaru Yar'Adua on the event, and promised that Ndigbara would be received by the president, in line with his pledge to do so to the first militant who surrendered his weapons.

Ndigbara commended Yar'Adua for granting amnesty to the militants, adding that more weapons that were at the disposal of his boys would be handed over to the government as soon as they were recovered from them.

Source:Xinhua