Emma Amaize
19 February 2008
MOVEMENT for the Emancipation of the Niger-Delta (MEND) yesterday expressed fears over the fate of one of its leaders, Henry Okah who was extradited from Angola to Nigeria, last Thursday.
MEND in a statement, signed by Jomo Gbomo, last night night, said, "Disturbing reports just reaching us suggests that Henry Okah succumbed to injuries from gun shot wounds at about 0400 hrs today, (yesterday) February 19, 2007 at a military hospital in Kaduna State of Nigeria after he was shot in what those interrogating him claimed was an 'accidental discharge' from the automatic weapon from one of the guards".
"The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) ", he warned, "is giving the Federal Government of Nigeria within the next 24 hours to confirm or deny this murder rumour.
Failure to do this", he stated, " will bring bloodbath in that region and beyond. We will not take prisoners from the military or oil workers".
A senior security officer contacted by Vanguard said it was not possible that State Security Service (SSS) officials would shoot a suspect in order to extract information from him.
The BBC quoting presidential spokesman, Mr. Segun Adeniyi last night said Okah was "safe and well".
He said the MED leader was in security custody in Abuja.
....As family plans to sue FG over extradition
THE family of the Movement for Emancipation of Niger-Delta (MEND) leader, Mr. Henry Okah contacted some lawyers in Nigeria to institute an action against the Federal Government in Abuja for his illegal extradition from Angola just as Vanguard confirmed that he is in the custody of the State Security Service (SSS).
Vanguard gathered that a Lagos-based human rights lawyer was contacted,yesterday, and barring any odd, an action would be filed against the Federal Government at the Federal High Court, Abuja latest Thursday.
The whereabouts of Henry Okah is still being kept by the Federal Government. A security source who was contacted on Okah's whereabouts by Vanguard said, "Government does not want to disclose the location for now".
He also dismissed the speculation that he was shot by SSS operatives to extract information, saying, "SSS don't operate that way, we do not behave that way, it is not true, you can take it from me". Vanguard learnt, however, that the government is deliberately keeping the whereabouts of Okah secret at the moment for security reasons.
"You know that this man is one of the leaders of a known militant group in Nigeria and we don't want the militants to know where he is kept so as for them not to develop the funny idea of coming for rescue mission or bombing the place, you know what I mean", he said.
He, however, said that Henry Okah was not yet cooperating with his interrogators, adding, "we are waiting for him to talk first, he has not opened up yet".
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