No fewer than 80 militants have voluntarily surrendered their arms in Cross River State, marking a major breakthrough in the state government’s amnesty programme and ongoing security efforts.
The surrender took place in the early hours of Friday, January 16, 2026, at Atimbo Rear Area, Akpabuyo Local Government Area, under Operation OKWOK, according to the Nigerian Army.
The militants emerged from two camps: 39 fighters led by ThankGod Ebikontei, also known as Ayibanuagha41 fighters led by John Isaac, popularly called Akpokolo, leader of the Akpokolo Marine Forces (Border Boys) During the exercise, the ex-militants handed over a cache of weapons and equipment, including AK-47 rifles, G3 and Mark 4 rifles, pump-action guns, single-barrel guns, ammunition, speedboats, boat engines, explosives, and other military kits.
Commander of the 13 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Brigadier General P.O. Alimikhena, described the development as a “major confidence-building milestone”, noting that sustained military operations combined with collaboration between security agencies and the Cross River State Government were yielding positive results.
Following their surrender, the former militants were handed over to the Cross River State Government’s Rapid Response Team and are currently undergoing profiling by the Department of State Services (DSS) in Calabar.
The army commended Governor Bassey Edet Otu for his commitment to peace and urged residents to continue supporting security agencies with credible information to sustain stability across the state.
