Okah culpable – S’Africa prosecution
•FG may seek his repatriation
From Ike Nnamdi The Sun Reporter
New York
Tuesday, October 05, 2010


Photo: Sun News Publishing
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South Africa-based Nigerian ex-militant leader Henry Okah was directly involved in deadly bombings that struck his homeland’s capital during independence celebrations, according to South African prosecutors who charged him with terrorism yesterday.

At a court hearing in Johannesburg, prosecutor Shaun Abrahams said Okah was a leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), which claimed responsibility for a dual car bombing that killed at least 12 people in Nigeria’s capital Abuja on Friday. Lawyers for Okah, who had been living in Johannesburg since 2009, said he had denied any involvement and that they would argue his arrest was unlawful.

Okah made no comment at yesterday’s hearings. His lawyers said he feared for his life in a central Johannesburg jail, worried that another prisoner might try to gain notoriety by attacking him. The judge said yesterday arrangements had been made to hold Okah in a private cell yesterday night, and that he would rule today on whether to move the suspect to a jail Okah considered more secure.

Abrahams presented a charge sheet accusing Okah of breaking South African counter-terrorism laws by participating in the bombings. “We will be interacting and have been interacting with Nigerian authorities,” Abrahams told the court. Chris Iroala, who identified himself as an official at the Nigerian consulate in Johannesburg, was in court yesterday, often standing at the prosecutor’s side. Iroala refused to comment on the case.

Meanwhile, Federal Government may be exploring the possibility of getting South Africa to repatriate him.
Aso Rock sources said the ministries of Justice and External Affairs may have been contacted to examine the workability.
Former Minster of State for Foreign Affairs, Aliyu Idi Hong confirmed that the government was working closely with the South African government because it suspects Okah to be behind the twin car bombings during the independence day celebration.

As members of the international community cautioned their citizens to be on alert in Nigeria, Hong said President Goodluck Jonathan was on top of the situation and would not rest until those responsible for what he said were terrorist attacks were decisively dealt with.
“With the cooperation of the South African government, they are already investigating and interrogating him (Okah). So, we have every confidence to say that God willing they will establish strong linkages (with the attacks),” he said.
Mr. Hong said Nigeria’s security agencies are looking at other options, including the possibility of other people outside MEND. The group claimed responsibility for the attacks.

In a statement last week, MEND had warned it would carry out attacks and called for the evacuation of people near the area of the celebrations.
The militant group denounced the celebrations, saying Nigeria had nothing to celebrate.
Over the weekend, President Jonathan blamed said a small external terrorist group carried out the twin bomb attacks despite claims by the militant group, MEND.
Critics said despite the warning, the government failed to act to prevent the attacks, a charge foreign minister Hong denies.

“It’s not fair for somebody to say the warning has not been taken. It must have been taken and also they have done their best. But, you are dealing with a population who has no marks on their faces there is no uniforms they are wearing and the cars they were using are not identified. So, it is generally very difficult for you to pin (it down).”
Hong said government would continue with its constitutional mandate to protect unarmed Nigerian civilians against any form of terrorist attacks.