South African court sentenced a man
suspected of being a former Niger Delta
rebel leader, Henry Okah, to 24 years in jail
on Tuesday for masterminding two deadly car
bombings in the Nigerian capital of Abuja in
2010, officials said. The bombs killed at least
10 people. He was convicted in January on
13 counts, including conspiracy to commit
terrorism and detonating explosives. Mr.
Okah denies any leadership role in the rebel
group, the Movement for the Emancipation
of the Niger Delta. He moved to South Africa
after Nigeria , acting to end the uprising,
issued an amnesty for members of the
guerrilla group in 2009 and lifted charges of
gunrunning and treason against him. The
South African court tried him under
counterterrorism laws that cover crimes
committed outside the country. The rebel
group’s attacks on oil fields and pipelines
across the swampy region that is home to
Africa’s biggest oil and gas industry cost
Nigeria $1 billion a month in lost revenues
at their peak, according to the central bank.
Attacks on pipelines to steal oil have
continued.
www.nytimes.com/2013/03/27/world/africa/south-africa-24-year-term-in-nigerian-car-bombings.html?_r=0