Former Nigerian militants to come to Minsk to study
- 1.02.2012, 11:38
The government of Nigeria sent 146 former Niger Delta militants for studies to Belarus and South Africa on January 30.
According to the African information portal, allAfrica, Nigerian ex-militants are supposed to spend in Belarus five years studying informatics, petro-chemical engineering and radio informatics, Radio Svabdoa reports.
The portal informs the Nigerians will study in Belarusian State University, but it’s possible that Belarusian University of Informatics and Radioelectronics was really meant.
Every student received a laptop from the Nigerian government.
About 12,000 ex- militants, who earlier fought against the government in the Niger Delta region, will be trained both in Nigeria and abroad this year, the portal says.
The Niger Delta region is famous for rich oil reserves extracted by Royal Dutch Shell, Exxon-Mobil, and Chevron. Oil royalties paid by the companies are the main source of income for the Nigerian government.
The Nigerian federal government and militant groups in the Niger Delta agreed on a truce and amnesty some years ago.
According to Reuter’s, amnestied militants receive a $420 monthly stipend month (which is considered a significant sum in a country where most people live on $2 a day).
