Leadership (Abuja)
Taiwo Ogunmola
21 August 2008
The Coalition for the Freedom of Dokubo, Uwazuruike and Okah (COFDUO) yesterday called for the unconditional release of their member, Henry Okah, the leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND), who was arrested and detained by the Federal Government.
The Chairman of the group Comrade Ayodele Akele, made this call during the world press conference held at NUJ secretariat, Lagos .
According to Akele, it was only equitable, fair, just and expedient that Henry Okah be also granted a temporary bail in whatever guise, saying anything short of this was not only against the rule of natural justice, it was discriminatory and against the spirit of Nigeria's 1999 constitution.
It would be recalled that Henry Okah was arrested on September 3, 2007, in Angola on a business trip with a companion, a mariner, Captain Edward Atatah when they were arrested at Luanda International Airport in Angola while boarding a flight back to South Africa .
Akele revealed that President Umaru Yar'Adua and the Bayelsa State Governor, Mr. Sylva Tiempreye had a telephone conversation with Okah saying that he should restore peace to the Niger Delta.
He said Okah was arraigned on a 55-count spurious and frivolous treason charge that cannot be proved openly with the main allegation that he received assorted firearms to wit: AK 47 rifles, sub machine guns and other ammunitions from certain military officers and distributed them to Niger Delta militant groups between 2003 and 2007.
Akele and his group also demanded that Okah should be released because of his present health condition.
'Henry Okah should be released forthwith for urgent medical attention over his deteriorating health conditions as a result of atrocious, inhuman and degrading detention conditions."
He, therefore, called for the release of the activist for there to be peace in the crisis-torn region.
Also speaking, the President of Niger Delta non-violent movement, Mr. Onengiya Erekosima, said government should not consider them as the troublemakers because their plan was to restore peace to Niger Delta.
He said those people arrested should be released by the government to support their quest for peace.
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