Tension mounts in Nigeria, especially in the Niger Delta region, as the presidential amnesty granted to repentant militants ends today.

Militant fighters loyal to Ateke Tom turned up yesterday to surrender their weapons and accept President Yar'Adua's amnesty. Dozens of speed boats full of fighters carrying machine guns and rocket launchers travelled from Dutch Island, a camp in the mangrove creeks of the Niger Delta and home to militant leader Ateke Tom, to the oil hub of Port Harcourt. Tom had accepted a presidential pardon on Thursday.

One of the militant leaders, Government Tompolo, yesterday also led 14 of his boys to the presidential villa where he finally surrendered to the amnesty granted by President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua.

At an event held at the first lady's (Turai Yar'Adua) office yesterday. Tompolo thanked Yar'Adua for the opportunity he gave the militants.

A much elated Yar'Adua assured them that development will take place in the Niger Delta area, adding that he will ensure that total rehabilitation and reintegration of militants takes place immediately.

"I will waste no time in battling development in the Niger Delta area to justify why government had to grant amnesty to militants as a way of stopping the destruction of the place," the president said.

But militant commander, Farah Dagogo, is yet to surrender, thereby foreclosing any possibility of a partnership and agreement with the government.

Energia reporters gathered that,the government is going to order troops to the Niger Delta area to ensure compliance to the ultimatum issued by government and is ready to maintain and sustain order, peace and stability in the area and ensure that no one continues with any form of militant struggle.

The government had vowed to ensure tough conditions after the expiration of the grace period which began in August.

Three days to the expiration of the Federal Government's deadline for Niger Delta militants to embrace the amnesty offer, one of the prominent factional leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) Mr. Ateke Tom turned up at the State House on Thursday in Abuja where he met President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua and accepted to embrace the offer.

MEND said it was naming a team of mediators to negotiate with the government on disarmament. It named Professor Wole Soyinka as head of the three-member team.

President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua had warned militants yet to embrace his amnesty programme to do so before the time expires as there will be no extension of the programme after the deadline of 4th October this year.

Issuing what looked like a last warning to the militants last week, Yar'Adua said government had no recognition for the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta and to to deal with any as the law saw fit after today.

Speaking through the chairman of the presidential committee on amnesty and defence minister, General Godwin Abbe after a close meeting with top security chiefs while assessing the policy so far, Yar'Adua commended militants who have accepted the amnesty, assuring them of his commitment to keep his own side of the bargain.