By SaharaReporters, New York

The State Security Service (SSS) today detained Raymond Dokpesi, the campaign manager of former dictator Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, over the bomb blasts that rocked Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, on Friday, October 1.

Mr. Dokpesi’s detention comes as South African authorities today charged Henry Okah, the exiled leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), with plotting the attacks that marred Nigeria’s 50th Independence anniversary.
Dokpesi’s arrest and Okah’s arraignment signify an escalation of tensions between Nigeria’s ruler, Goodluck Jonathan, and Mr. Babangida. The two events also raise questions about the nature of the information that the Jonathan administration has concerning relations between Mr. Okah and aides of the former dictator.

Last week, Mr. Jonathan had declared that MEND was not responsible for the bomb blasts, blaming them on an unnamed terrorist group.

“It seems as if the government is now implying that the blasts were a joint effort between MEND and the Babangida camp,” said a civil society activist in Abuja. He asked, “If President Jonathan believes that MEND did not execute the assaults, then why did his government pressure South Africa to arrest Okah?” He added, “If the MEND leader or some faction of MEND is now working for Babangida, then Jonathan’s campaign to emerge the PDP flag bearer would seem to be troubled.”

Saharareporters has also learned that the Nigerian government invoked all diplomatic and economic threats against South Africa in order to force the South African authorities to arrest Mr. Okah and charge him for terrorism offences relating to the death of more than 25 Nigerians in the October 1st explosions. “President Jonathan threatened to nationalize MTN if the South African government failed to pick up Henry Okah,” a senior government official in Abuja told our correspondent.

Saharareporters had broken the news about the early morning raid on Okah’s Johannesburg home last Wednesday. A source told us that the South African police did not find any incriminating evidence during their search.

Nigerian security officials now claim they have arrested nine people who are directly linked to Mr. Okah.

In a rare press release obtained by Saharareporters, the SSS claimed that Mr. Okah and several others had planned to explode car bombs in Abuja on September 29 2010, but that Nigeria’s intelligence officials had foiled the attacks by towing away two abandoned vehicles from areas near the Eagle Square venue of the Independence Day anniversary. The press release, riddled with grammatical errors, appears to have been hastily written. It does not explain how or if the security agency found any explosive devices in the towed vehicles.

The SSS merely blamed the attacks on Mr. Okah and unnamed individuals described as his sponsors.

However, a top security official told Saharareporters today that the office of the National Security Adviser claimed that they had intercepted some 400 phone calls from Mr. Okah made to several individuals including Mr. Dokpesi, the proprietor of Africa Independent Television (AIT). Also an SSS source further disclosed that they have obtained text messages between Dokpesi and some of the suspects in their custody, some of the messages were sent to Mr. Dokpesi requesting payments and some arranging meetings between the suspects and Babangida.

Mr. Dokpesi recently accepted an offer to be Babangida’s campaign director. His detention by the SSS confirms widespread speculation that the Nigerian authorities are linking the bombing to Mr. Babangida
Statement by the State Security Service (SSS)signed by SSS spokesperson, Marilyn Ogar‏ :

Gentlemen of the press: The despicable act of terrorism which eventually took place on 1st Oct, 2010 was planned for Wednesday 29 September, 2010 but was foiled as soon as the information was received during the early hours of 28 Sept, 2010. The overriding objective of the group was to scare foreign visitors from attending the 50th Anniversary celebration on 1st October 2010.

Their Operational Plan

On Tuesday 28 September 2010 about 0130hrs, information was received that the three arms zone was to be bombed and 6 vehicles had already been prepared for the purpose. Consequently, the Service contacted the military, which provided three towing trucks, which were added to that of the Service and immediately joint operations commenced.

During the operations that lasted from 0215hrs to 0630hrs of the same date, a total of nine abandoned vehicles were towed away. Of these, 2 were near the SSS headquarters, 2 facing the Villa gate and the National Assembly, 2 close to the Police headquarters, one at the Eagle Square and 2 around Apo Legislative quarters - They were all towed away.

Subsequently, the FRSC and VIO were co-opted into the operations, to move around the FCT towing away abandoned vehicles. These efforts which lasted till the morning of 1st October, 2010 saw 65 abandoned vehicles removed. It is worthy of not that out of the 7 vehicles removed from the 3 arms zone, 4 are yet to be collected.

When the Plan A of the group was foiled, they resorted to the penetration of the Eagle Square in an attempt to plant explosive devices. However, the Service deployed hi-tech equipment in around the Eagle Square and jammed the detonation of any of such explosives.

On 1st Oct, 2010, the Eagle Square and its environs were effectively cordoned off and appropriate measures were put in place by the joint efforts of all security and law enforcement agencies to prevent any untoward incident. However, the rain showers of that morning provided the leeway for double-parking by motorists. In the process the perpetrators apparently gained access to park on the roadside as well.

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