Nigeria militants want amnesty talks with president

By Austin Ekeinde

PORT HARCOURT, Nigeria (Reuters) - Four Nigerian militant factions on Friday accepted in principle an amnesty offer from President Umaru Yar'Adua, giving a boost to his efforts to end years of unrest in Africa's biggest oil industry.

The president on Thursday offered a 60-day amnesty to gunmen in the Niger Delta who have been responsible for pipeline bombings, attacks on oil and gas installations and the kidnapping of industry workers over the past three years.

The unrest has prevented the world's eighth biggest oil exporter from pumping much above two thirds of its installed capacity of 3 million barrels per day, costing it billions of dollars in lost revenue and pushing global energy prices higher.

Representatives of Ateke Tom, Farah Dagogo, Soboma George and Boyloaf -- key leaders of armed gangs behind some of the most spectacular attacks -- said they wanted to meet Yar'Adua to work out details of the deal.

"We accept peace as encapsulated in the said offer of amnesty," they said in a joint statement.

"Depending on the outcome (of the meeting with Yar'Adua), the leaders will then announce when they will begin to hand over the arms and ammunitions in their possession to the federal government," the statement said.

Nigeria's chief of defense staff, Air Chief Marshall Paul Dike, said the security forces would observe a ceasefire and respect all the terms of the amnesty. But he warned the army would respond if attacked.

The four factions have links to the main umbrella militant group, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), which is in reality a loose coalition of armed gangs.