Asari Dokubo: MEND, NDPVF warn Benin Republic of an impending reprisal

 

                  

 

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has demanded the immediate release of Mr. Asari Dokubo, who has been in police detention in the Republic of Benin since yesterday.

“Even though Mr Asari Dokubo, along with some Niger Delta myopic and corrupt Tribal Assemblies like the Ijaw National Congress (INC), Ijaw Youth Congress (IYC), Ijaw Monitoring Group (IMG), South-South Peoples Assembly (SSPA) and Elder Edwin K Clark gloated or kept silent over Henry Okah’s setup, arrest and conviction, we will remember the role Mr Asari Dokubo had played in the unfinished struggle before he was bought off along with several others,” it said in a short statement.

It pledged not to abandon Mr. Dokubo at this time just as it will not abandon Henry, his brother Charles Okah and others who are still incarcerated.

“If diplomacy fails to prevail, we will not rule out any form of attacks on the Republic of Benin’s interests,” MEND warned.

Also today, Festus Keyamo, Dokubo’s lawyer, petitioned President Goodluck Jonathan asking for his direct intervention in ensuring the former militant’s release.  

“We want to emphasise that Alhaji Dokubo-Asari, ever though a Nigerian, carries on legitimate business and has been living partly in Benin Republic for many years now. In fact, he owns houses, schools and an academy in that country,” the letter said, noting that all those places have been searched but that nothing incriminating was found.

“We think his arrest and detention is a ploy by certain forces in Nigeria in unholy alliance with the Beninoise government to keep him away as 2015 approaches,” the lawyer said.

 

In the same vein, another group loyal to the Niger Delta activist, Mujahid Asari-Dokubo, Niger Delta People’s Volunteer Force, NDPVF, has warned the authorities of Benin Republic to free the former militant leader or be ready to face its wrath.

 

The Niger Delta People’s Volunteer Force, NDPVF, issued the warning, signed by its leaders, Mr. Rex Ekiugbo Anighoro in Abuja last night, follo-wing the arrest and detention of Dokubo in an unknown location since Tuesday afternoon.

 

NDPVF, which also likened the arrest to a kidnap by the authori-ties, said that they were appalled by the unprovoked breach of the fundamental rights of the youth leader.

 

It said: “We hold this arrest as an absurdity. It is unprovoked and questionable and has been without any reason from the government of Republic of Benin.

 

“We consider this as a kidnap of our leader by the President of Republic of Benin working with certain opposition figures in Nigeria.

 

“We hereby make demand on President Yayi Bonni of the Republic of Benin to release, unconditionally and with immediate effect, our leader Alhaji  Asari-Dokubo and offer unreserved apology to him for this monumental breach of his rights.

 

“We call on all the aggrieved youths of Niger Delta to be on red alert and ready for a total showdown and shut down if in the next 48 hours his release has not been made.

 

“We call on the President of the Nigerian union to mediate on this potential diplomatic row that may lead to an unprecedented conflagration.”