Military to investigate claims, says VOA; Bombed Elem Tombia sends SOS to Yar’Adua; 25 hostages still held by militants;Why MEND may call off Cease-fire, Okah has case to answer, fit to stand trial, court rules
Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) has confirmed that some members of the Nigerian armed forces and politicians are in its fold.
MEND’s spokesman, Jomo Gbomo, in reaction to an allegation by Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Air Chief Marshall Paul Dike that he has information of some soldiers leaking information to the militants, told Saturday Vanguard in an exclusion interview that some members of the Joint Task Force (JTF) are into bunkering in the Niger Delta, adding that soldiers lobby to be posted to the region.
However, hopes that detained MEND leader, Henry Okah would be released for medical tests following his kidney problems as advised by a urologist was yesterday dashed by a federal high court in Jos, as the court was told that the MEND leader is medically fit to stand trial.
The court also ruled that Okah has a case to answer on the 62-count charge against him. His lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana had opposed this ruling on the ground that no prima facie proof had been provided against his client.
Meanwhile, the Voice of America, on its website says the Nigerian military, following the revelations by Dike, say they will investigate the extent of the collaboration by the military and militants as well as the bunkering allegation which members of the JTF are accused of encouraging.
Dike, in his tour around military bases manned by the JTF in Delta, Rivers and Bayelsa states, alleged that “We pass messages from Abuja , before it will get to where it ought to get to, the message is already leaked.”
He added that there are suggestions in certain quarters that some of the soldiers are into bunkering.
Gbomo, confirming what Dike alleged, also told Saturday Vanguard that the CDS “is correct. Officers and men from the armed forces who are members of MEND are playing their role in the fight against injustice.
We are kept abreast of all the plans in the Ministry of Defence, the propaganda and real threat. We paid dearly for dismissing the credible information on the Elem-Tombia attack.”
On Dike’s allegation that some JTF men are into bunkering, Gbomo said, “If you recall the court martial involving senior Naval officers involved in oil theft some years back, these were the scapegoats. The military are very much involved in bunkering, which is why the Niger Delta is seen as a lucrative posting in the military.”
MEND also warned that its oil war cease-fire would be “called off in the event of an attack on any of its positions, a continuous detention of a sick Henry Okah, any perceived threat to us and if the government does not address the true federalism question.”
Meanwhile, 25 hostages are still in MEND’s custody. The militants’ spokesman said, however that the men would be released at the right time.
MEND, following the intervention of Henry Okah’s wife, Azuka, released two South African hostages. But Gbomo said, “There are still two Britons, one Ukrainian and 22 Nigerians in the transit camp. They will be released at the appropriate time.”
But the MEND spokesman, Gbomo and leader of the Ijaw nation, Chief Edwin Clark are not happy with Governor Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi. For the duo, the Rivers State governor’s stance on militancy will not guarantee peace in the state, rather, it will escalate the problem there.
Clark, who promised to meet with the governor and JTF had asked Amaechi to negotiate with the militants, to which the MEND spokesman welcomed, saying, “It is a wise counsel to a stubborn child.
Sooner or later, Amechi will come to terms with the reality. He is confusing criminality with genuine armed agitation.”
For Clark, Amaechi’s style cannot bring peace there, adding, “I believe that by now, he has realized that his tough stance cannot bring peace to Rivers State. So, he should change his tactics. He should not find it too difficult to change. The ability to change your position is the strength of a leader.”
Clark also appealed to the JTF “to allow peace to reign in Rivers State between now and December 3,” adding that the cease-fire there now should be used to see government’s plans there and also for the Niger-Delta Technical Committee which will commence full work from October 5 or 6.
“The Federal Government did not intend that the ministry it set up is going to work under a war situation. These are attempts to pacify the people to see that there is peace in the area,” Clark said.
Meanwhile, chiefs from Elem Tombia community invaded and bombed by members of the JTF have sent a ‘Save Our Soul’ appeal to President Umaru Yar’Adua and Amaechi on what they claim is a planned extermination of their community by the soldiers.
The town’s chief had visited Clark in his Delta country home, saying that the JTF bombed their community, killing 25 there and that their river is littered with corpses which they cannot reclaim as they have gone into hiding because of fear.
The chief went on to say that there are rumours that another attack is planned on the community by the JTF and this has brought fear to the people.
Okah is fit to stand trial, has case to answer, court rules
However, a federal high court in Jos has been told that Henry Okah is medically fit to stand trial. The court is trying the MEND leader. This is just as the court ruled that Okah has a case to answer on the 62-count charge against him which his lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana had opposed on the ground that no prima facie proof had been provided to justify the allegations.
Falana had filed an application pursuant to Section 1567 and 340 (3) of the Criminal Procedure Act arguing that his client could not face the charges because the proof of evidence did not disclose any case against him.
Ruling on the application on Friday, Justice Stephen Adah said the allegations against Okah were grievous in nature and must be answered by the accused.
He agreed with the prosecution that the court having settled the issue of proof of evidence by its initial ruling on the matter on July 30, the defence counsel needed not to plead the issue of incomplete proof of evidence again.
The defence counsel had in countering the application dismissed the submission of the prosecution counsel that he did not attach the statement of the witnesses and that the proof of evidence had stated clearly what the witnesses were going to testify at the trial.
Justice Adah agreed with the Supreme Court decision that a criminal case can be struck out if it does not disclose any prima facie case against an accused but noted that the evidence before the court was strong enough for the trial of the accused to continue.
Following the ruling, the prosecution represented by A. Mukaila applied that Okah’s plea be taken but Falana objected strongly to the move on the ground that the court had earlier ruled that the accused be taken for medical care over his ailing kidney.
His submission was dismissed by the prosecution which said a medical examination carried out had shown that he was fit to stand trial and went ahead to invite the doctor who conducted the examination to testify in court.
The doctor, whose identity, was not disclosed testified that he examined the accused and found him medically fit to stand trial.
Falana countered by saying a urologist who earlier examined his client said he needed to undergo tests for his kidney problem. He was, however overruled by the judge who adjourned hearing to October 31.