Emma Amaize
10 October 2008
SOLICITOR to Henry Okah, the assumed leader of the Movement for Emancipation of the Niger-Delta (MEND), who is standing secret trial for treasonable felony, Mr Femi Falana has written the Niger-Delta Technical Committee, headed by Mr. Ledum Mitee, urging it to make a strong case for the unconditional release of Okah to afford him the opportunity to join other Nigerians in the restoration of law and order in the region.
In a letter, handed over to the committee, yesterday, in Abuja by a lawyer from Femi Falana chambers, Barrister Wilson Ajuya, he told the committee that the House of Representatives "has just resolved to investigate the alleged importation of arms and ammunition to the Niger-Delta", adding that in the interest of justice, the committee should also recommend the prosecution of the powerful individuals and corporate bodies involved in the proliferation of arms and ammunition in the Niger-Delta".
He said the Vice President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan visited Henry Okah in South Africa around July and August, 2007 where the issue of peace in the region was discussed and agreement reached to set up the Federal Government Committee on Peace and Conflict Resolution in the Niger-Delta, which he nominated both the chairman and secretary, only for the government to instigate his arrest a month later, September 3, 2007 in Angola.
Falana said the Angola authorities investigated Okah and Edward Atatah who was arrested with him and found no charge against him, but, the Nigerian government insisted on his expatriation to the country, where he was to in February, 2008 and dumped in detention illegally in military custody and granted no access to his lawyers until a Federal High Court was approached.
The lawyer said no case was found against Atatah who was released after languishing in detention for 50 days while a man who once welded a vehicle for Okah, Mr. Bassey Umoren was arrested in March and had been promised liberty if he would agree to testify against Okah.
The defence team said totality of the 62-count charge against Okah was that he received assorted crate of arms and ammunitions from certain military officers and distributed same to militant groups in the Niger-Delta region between 2003 and 2008.
Curiously, he noted, the military officers that were accused of the alleged act have not been charged for treason even when it is evident that military officers were involved in smuggling of arms.
He also said that the Nigeria Police Force was involved in the same practice with the Shell Petroleum Development Company and wondered why his client was being tried secretly against the laws of the land.
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