Nigeria to propose 60-day amnesty for oil militants

Abuja: Nigeria's president will propose a 60-day amnesty programme for militants in the Niger Delta on Thursday, in an effort to end years of attacks on Africa's biggest oil and gas industry, a senior official said.

"All militants who respond positively to the amnesty proclamation should...receive presidential pardon and thus become immune to criminal prosecution," the source close to Nigeria's Council of State said.

President Umaru Yar'Adua is due to present the proposal to the Council, composed of the country's 36 state governors as well as former heads of state and chief justices, on Thursday.

The Nigerian leader has said the amnesty programme will be open to all gunmen in the Niger Delta and would provide rehabilitation, education and training.

Militant attacks in the region, home to Africa's biggest oil and gas industry, have cut Nigerian oil output to less than two thirds of its installed capacity of 3 million barrels per day over the past three years.