Both the Ijaw National Congress and the Ijaw Youth Council on Saturday threatened to hold the Federal Government responsible should anything happen to the detained leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, (MEND) in detention.
This is coming barely 24 hours after Justice Babs Kuewumi of the Federal High Court, Abuja, ordered the immediate trial of Okah and unfettered access to his family, doctors and lawyers.
Making the position of INC known in an interview with the newsmen at the 2008 Ijaw National Day, the INC President, Kimse Okoko, frowned at further detention of the MEND leader, arguing that if truly he committed the offence that he was arrested for, he should be tried in a court.
Okoko stressed the need for Due Process in the trial of the detained leader, adding that when he was first arrested in Angola,their position was that he should be taken to a court and that the law be allowed to take its course.
The INC leader said, while the agitation for his trial was going on, the Federal Government, in connivance with the Angolan government, moved him into the country and was interrogated in Abuja .
�We learnt that during the interrogation, he was shot, but security agents denied the report, while another report had it that it was an accidental discharge.�
The INC President has now warned that, should anything happen to the detained leader , both the FG, and its respective agencies would be held responsible.
Speaking in the same vein, the National Secretary of the Ijaw Youths Council, Comrade Udengs Eradiri, warned that should anything happen to Okah in either Army or Police custody, there would be total break down of law and order ,not only in the Niger Delta region, but the entire country.
According to him, Okah is one of the foremost Ijaw leaders and we know his contribution to the emancipation of Ijaw people. �We are aware of how he was tortured and shot by the soldiers and even though they are denying it, they should allow the youths in the region unfettered access to him�.