Malachy Uzendu
28 February 2008
Abuja — POLICE yesterday said the arrested leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), Henry Okah, would soon be charged of his after investigation to the alleged crimes have been concluded.
Maintaining that Okah is alive and well but being interrogated over eight allegations including murder, gun running, secession and armed robbery, Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Mike Okiro insisted that due to the enormity of the allegation levelled against him, "issue of detention for not more than 24 hours do not apply here."
According to the IGP, the arrested MEND leader is being kept in detention pending when investigation into his alleged crimes would be completed.
Among the allegations levelled agains Okah, was that he was not only involved in the "financing/sponsorship of militant activities in the Niger Delta", but he (Okah) was also responsible for the "killing of foreign oil workers, security personnel and innocent persons in the Niger Delta".
Similarly, he was accused of "complicity in bank robberies, hiring of mercenaries and attempts to overthrow some governments in the sub-region" as well as being responsible for the "sourcing/purchasing of arms and ammunition and acquisition of surface to air missiles, with the intention to bring down aircraft in the region.
"On going investigation have revealed that Henry Okah is responsible for the theft of weapons and ammunition in various armouries and magazines of the armed forces and security agencies across the country as a result of which many serving officers are now facing court marital," government insisted.
Government further accused him of promoting secessionist interest in the Niger Delta and had also carried out series of kidnappings, hostage taking and piracy, including acts of sabotage against vital installations across the country.
The statement had noted that the claims by MEND that its leader had been killed was an "orchestrated and deliberate falsehood by the group," saying that Okah "was recently extradicted to the country and is presently being investigated for various offences and has neither been tortured or killed as alleged by MEND.
"Henry Okah was extradicted from a country where he was arrested while negotiating for the purchase of defence related stores, including gun boats and ground to air missiles for use in destabilizing own and other countries within the West African sub-region.
"Henry Okah, for the information of the public, has been identified as an international gun-runner and a major oil bunkerer in the Niger Delta," a police spokesman, ACP Agberebi Akpoebi stressed.
He warned that government would not tolerate to the use of falsehood by any group or person on the matter as such would be termed as "intentional mischief and deliberate undermining of public peace and order".
It should be recalled that MEND in a statement last week claimed that its leader, Mr. Okah had been shot dead and challenged government to debunk the claim through practical steps like allowing access to his legal representatives, family, pastor and the International Red Cross or a similar body for an independent verification that he is still alive and never been tortured.
Even as MEND made the demand, another oil worker, the Divisional Manager (Public Affairs) of Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC), was abducted and his driver shot.
In a statement signed by a leader of MEND, Jomo Gbomo, MEND said it was "irresponsible" of the Federal Government to have received him and the other fellow, Edward Atatah and kept silent.
Lending voice to MEND, the spokesman of Joint Revolutionary Council (JRC), which include MEND, The Reformed Niger Delta People's Volunteer Force and The Martyrs Brigade - Cynthia Whyte, insisted that "it is our belief that arrest, extradition and current torturing of Henry Okah was the culmination of a grand conspiracy by key imperialist collaborators of the Nigerian state which include big oil firms Shell, Chevron, Agip and fifth columnist elements who believe that they have a God-given mandate to extort the oil, deplete the resources and render the lands and people of the Niger Delta desolate.
"Coming on the heels of the emancipation of the people of Kosovo, we call on all Ijaws and Niger Deltans to rise up to the challenges of the new calling. We must resist the antics of the ungrateful state.
"First, the JTF secretly lists IYC, INC, MOSOP, and diverse CSOs etc as "militant" groups due for elimination; then, last weekend, Ekiyor of IYC was assaulted by JTF troops and Okah of MEND (after being surreptitiously and 'illegally' extradited from Angola) is shot by 'accidental discharge', when the child dies in the morning after the owl hoot-filled night, we need not look beyond the witch for the child's killer response," he added.
Equally speaking was the Ijaw National Congress (INC) which urged the federal government to ensure it complies with the Geneva Convention in handling Okah.
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