The Nigerian militant leader Henry Okah, who is on trial for gun-running and treason, welcomed a government amnesty offer and could be released soon, his lawyers said Thursday. Mr. Okah is suspected of leading the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, the region’s main militant group, whose recent attacks have wreaked havoc on Nigeria’s oil sector. If Mr. Okah is released, it will raise hopes that other militants will lay down their weapons in the Delta, the heart of Africa’s biggest oil and gas industry. President Umaru Yar’Adua extended the clemency offer to Mr. Okah and promised to release him if he accepted.
Jul102009