Three militant commanders responsible for many of the attacks that have curtailed Nigeria’s oil production agreed on Sunday to lay down their weapons after accepting the government’s offer of amnesty at the 11th hour.

The gunmen’s emergence from their bases in the mangrove swamps of the Niger delta as Sunday’s deadline for a 60-day amnesty neared marks a victory for the efforts of Umaru Yar’Adua, president, to bring stability to the oil-rich region.