An ex-militant, Mr Ibinabo Okoroji, has appealed to the Federal Government and relevant agencies to check gun-running in the Niger Delta.

Okoroji made the appeal in an interview at the post-Amnesty Camp in Obubra, Cross River.

He said that although the ex-militants had embraced the amnesty programme of the Federal Government and had submitted their guns, there were people in the region, who were still involved in arms deals.

He said that if nothing was done to check such activity, some youths in the area could be lured into another round of arms struggle and militancy.

"We have submitted our guns but the people that are selling the guns are still there doing the business", he said.

The ex-militant disclosed that some youths who were not involved in the amnesty programme were angry, and appealed to relevant authorities to look into the issue with a view to allowing them benefit from the programme.

He explained that many youths in the region were jobless and urged governments at all levels, to come to their rescue.

"The government and elders of this country should find solution to the problem of youths unemployment so that many people will have something to do, because an idle man is the devil's workshop," he said.

Okoroji, tasked traditional rulers and community leaders in the region as well as the "reformed" ex-militants to talk to "some remnants" of the ex-militants, who had yet to drop their guns, to embrace the amnesty programme.

"We should be given the responsibility of talking to these people and make them know that there is a lot to benefit from dropping their arms," he said.

He said that when he was in the creeks as a militant, he was getting about N170, 000 monthly but was currently earning N65, 000 from the amnesty

He added: "Though it is not enough, I have resolved not to go back to militancy".