Ateke Tom is a traditional ruler and the first Amanyanabo of Okochiri Kingdom, who was the former leader of the Niger Delta Vigilante, an ethnic

Ijaw Ijaw may refer to: *Ijaw people The Izon people or Izon Otu, otherwise known as the Ijaw people due to the historic mispronunciation of the name ''Izon'', are an ethnic group majorly found in the Niger Delta in Nigeria, with significant populatio ...

militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

in the

Niger Delta The Niger Delta is the delta of the Niger River sitting directly on the Gulf of Guinea on the Atlantic Ocean in Nigeria. It is located within nine coastal southern Nigerian states, which include: all six states from the South South geopolitic ...

region of

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

. In August 2007, following days of gun fights between various militia groups and security forces in Port Harcourt, Ateke Tom wrote to the

Governor of Rivers State The Governor of Rivers State is the chief executive of the Rivers State government and is one of the governors of the thirty-six states of Nigeria. The governor is supported by the Deputy Governor, both popularly elected for a term of four yea ...

Celestine Omehia, requesting amnesty in response to an offer of clemency and rehabilitation the government had offered to militia who surrendered. On 1 October 2009, the 49th anniversary of Nigerian independence and three days before the closing of a government amnesty program, Tom willingly surrendered to President

Umaru Musa Yar'Adua Umaru Musa Yar'Adua (16 August 19515 May 2010) was a Nigerian politician who, was the President of Nigeria from 2007 to 2010. He was declared the winner of the Nigerian presidential election held on 21 April 2007, and was sworn in on 29 May 2 ...

at the Government House, Abuja. The presidential jet was sent to fly Tom to Abuja, and the President stated, "Today, Chief Tom Ateke you have given me my 49th independence anniversary gift and I cherish it so much." Also present at the surrender were Vice President

Goodluck Jonathan Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan (born 20 November 1957)Lawson Heyford, ''The Source'' (Lagos), 11 December 2006. is a Nigerian politician who served as the President of Nigeria from 2010 to 2015. He lost the 2015 presidential election to fo ...

, Minister of Defense General

Godwin Abbe Godwin Osagie Abbe (born 10 January 1949) in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria is a retired Nigerian Army Major General and former Defence Minister of Nigeria from 2009 to 2010. He served as the Nigerian Minister of Interior from 2007 to 2009. ...

, Secretary to the Government of the Federation Yayale Ahmed, Chief of Defense Staff

Paul Dike Paul Dike (born 1950) is a retired air chief marshal of the Nigerian Air Force, who was the Chief of the Air Staff from 2006 to 2008. In August 2008, he was appointed Chief of the Defence Staff. Prior to his appointment as Chief of the Air St ...

and National Security Advisor

Abdullahi Sarki Mukhtar Abdullahi Sarki Mukhtar (born 5 July 1949, in Kano State, Nigeria) was formerly the National security adviser to the president of Nigeria. Rtd Major General Mukhtar was also a former military governor of Kaduna state and Katsina State, in the ca ...

, among others. On 25 November 2017, Ateke Tom was crowned as the first Amanyanabo of Okochiri. The coronation was attended by Ezenwo Wike,

References

Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Ijaw people Nigerian guerrillas Nigerian royalty {{Nigeria-mil-bio-stub

See also

References