Last militant leader disarms in Nigeria amnesty

Nigeria's last prominent militant leader agreed to halt fighting in the oil-producing Niger Delta and surrendered his weapons on Sunday in return for an unconditional pardon. Tompolo, whose gunmen were behind many attacks on the oil industry in the western Niger Delta, handed over rocket launchers, machine guns and explosives to Defense Minister Godwin Abbe at his camp in Oporoza in the creeks of Delta state. "It is an act of patriotism that Tompolo and his group surrendered their arms," Abbe said at the ceremony. "The time has come for us to settle down and find solutions to what led to the crisis in the region. Today marks the beginning of the development of the Niger Delta."