The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta on Saturday accused the Federal Government of planning to use Edward Atatah as star witness to frame up its leader, Henry Okah.
Okah is standing trial in a Jos Federal High Court on charges of treason and gunrunning.
The duo were arrested on September 3, 2007 by the government of Angola and were detained until they were extradited to Nigeria .
MEND�s spokesman, Jomo Gbomo, in an email to Sunday Punch, alleged that the group had been informed that Atatah had been freed.
The group claimed that both men had been on the Nigerian Interpol list for terrorism for a long time before they were arrested on trumped up charges.
Part of the email reads, �Edward, like Henry Okah, was accused of being caught red-handed while purchasing weapons of war and explosives.
�He, together with Henry, was said to have been on the Nigerian Interpol list for terrorism and both men were identified as MEND leaders.
�Knowing that holding on to Edward will jeopardise their case against the real target; the government has been forced to let another innocent man out of its evil clutches and proposes to use him as a paid witness against his friend.
�There are many men and women still in the custody of the State Security Service over this matter languishing in unknown destinations in the northern parts of Nigeria.�
MEND commended the Olu of Warri, who it said worked tirelessly behind the scene to challenge the blatant injustice on two Niger Delta sons; one of whom is his subject.
It noted that the focus of the group would now be centred on ensuring that Okah was released unconditionally and vowed to use all means at its disposal to do so.
MEND has claimed responsibility for the destruction of major export pipelines in many parts of the Niger Delta, leading to serious cut in Nigeria�s oil supply at the international market.