A CALL for caution was at the weekend made by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) over the travail of its spokesman, Mr. Henry Okah, who may be charged with sponsoring a failed coup in Equitorial Guinea in 2004.
Okah, who is believed to go by the pseudonym Jomo Gbomo, was arrested in Angola on September 3, according to MEND in a statement yesterday.
The militant group said that he had twice been arraigned in Angolan courts and had on both occasions been acquitted. It added that the South-Central African country is, however, bent on prolonging his incarceration with what it considers a spurious charge in Equatorial Guinea.
In another statement last night, MEND threatened to resume attacks on oil installations and kidnap foreigners in the Niger Delta following the arrest of its leader and spokesperson, Okah.
MEND in a statement issued in Gbomo’s name said: “With effect from 12.00 midnight today, Sunday, September 23, 2007, we will commence attacks on installations and abduction of expatriates,” the militant group said, adding:
“There will be no forewarning of these attacks. The MEND is committed to the fight for justice and ultimately the emancipation of the people of the Niger Delta. We will not sit back and allow our birth right to be exchanged for a bowl of porridge.
“The government has so far concentrated its resources in bribing the so-called militants, politicians and supposed elders of the Niger Delta.”
Gbomo continued: “By all indication, this government is unwilling to justly resolve the crisis in the Niger Delta. Rather, they have chosen to follow the footsteps of their predecessor by attempting to divide and rule the indigenes of the Niger Delta.”
MEND believes that the travail is being orchestrated from Nigeria and warned that the matter could jeopardise the on-going peace process in the Niger Delta.
Okah was arrested at the Luanda Airport, Angola, with another unidentified Nigerian on their return to South Africa on what MEND said was a fishing trawler business trip.
MEND in a statement made available to The Guardian yesterday, claimed that the duo were arrested on “a business trip where they had gone to enquire about the purchase of a fishing trawler.”
Okah’s wife, Azuka who spoke from their home in Johannesburg, South-Africa, told Reuters news agency that the MEND spokesman is being detained in Angola on arms trafficking charges even though he had gone there to inspect a ship he was hoping to buy.
She said: “He was boarding a plane from Angola and two days later I got a call saying he was detained for money-laundering and arms trafficking.”
MEND said that Okah, whom it described as a silent player in the Niger Delta struggle and part of the on-going peace process, was framed by the Nigerian government in collaboration with some oil majors.
The militant group said Okah and the other Nigerians were led away from their hand luggage under the pretext that their luggage had to be searched for excess foreign currency before leaving Angola.
It added that by the time the Nigerians returned, the Angolan officials claimed that they found incriminating literature written in Portuguese, a language none of the men speak, inside Okah’s hand luggage.
MEND’s statement signed by “Jomo Gbomo” from its well-known email account, said: “On the two court appearances following the arrest, the judge threw the case out for lack of merit. After this frame-up failed, another case was quickly manufactured, this time that he should be repatriated to Equitorial Guinea to face charges of sponsoring a failed coup attempt.”
The militant group, which came into existence in November 2005 said it views the planned repatriation of its member to Equitoria Guinea as ludicrous considering that he was never declared wanted by that government or even the INTERPOL before this time. Okah, according to MEND, is not even aware of any coup-attempt in Equitoria Guinea.
“The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta wishes to serve as a warning to those behind this plot; that a repeat of the Ken Saro Wiwa – type of set-up will fail this time around. For the sake of the on-going peace process, the Nigerian security agencies, the multinational oil and construction companies, and their local and foreign collaborators should not take actions that will jeopardise the peace process and take us back to an era everyone is moving away from.”
MEND said its commanders and fighters were watching “the unfolding conspiracy” closely. It added that there would no doubt be very unpleasant and dire consequences if this matter was not handled with fairness.
The Joint Revolutionary Council (JRC) said Okah’s arrest would not stop militant activities in the Niger Delta region.
JRC’s spokesperson, Cynthia Whyte, said that “abandoning the struggle was certainly not an option for all true Niger Deltans,” noting that “over the years, we have been able to identify people who have tremendous ability to do new things.”
Insisting that the struggle actually just began, Whyte said: “This is because it has become an intrinsic part of our consciousness which cannot be traded away.
“In spite of all their good fortunes, the Yoruba haven’t traded away OPC (Odua Peoples Congress); have they?” he queries.
The group said even with the arrest of Okah, nothing would change in terms of the struggle. He described the MEND spokesman as in fact being new in the Niger Delta struggle.
Whyte said: “Jomo Gbomo had never been involved in any issue that involves the struggle per se. He is basically a businessman and we did business with him while it lasted. Fortunately for him, he found himself an illiterate bunch over whom he could lord over.”
The JRC spokesperson said the group had never been a part of Okah’s MEND, adding “even though at certain points in time, especially at the onset and mid way, we worked very closely and together for certain campaigns.”
Whyte ruled out the possibility of Okah being set up, adding that he might have fallen into the misfortune out of carelessness.