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Monday, 01 December, 2008, 23:40 GMT | more >>

Okah granted access to counsel



By Upstream staff 

A Nigerian judge has given rebel leader Henry Okah access to his lawyers in the first court hearing related to an arrest on gun running charges in the oil rich Niger Delta.

Okah was extradited to Nigeria on 14 February from Angola, where he was arrested in September. His detention in a secret location in Nigeria has raised tensions in the delta, which produces 2.1 million barrels of crude per day.

Reuters reported that Okah was not present in court today when his counsel, Femi Falana, presented a suit accusing the government of illegally detaining him and denying him access to lawyers and family.

Judge Babs Kwewumi ruled that Okah be granted access to lawyers and family. He said the government should explain its position and set a date for a hearing on 5 March.

Okah was the leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend), which launched a series of attacks on the oil industry in early 2006 that shut down a fifth of Nigerian output, driving up oil prices on world markets.

Some militants and activists in the delta have said they are considering pulling out of peace talks over the Okah issue. He has not been formally charged, but police on Thursday issued a statement accusing him of many crimes.

These included killing troops and hostages, dealing weapons, smuggling crude oil, financing militant attacks, piracy, sabotage of the oil industry, bank robberies and secessionism.

In his suit, Falana said Okah and co-detainee Edward Atatah were innocent of any crime and had travelled to Angola to inspect a trawler ship they were thinking of buying.


Friday, 22 February, 2008, 16:22 GMT  | last updated: Monday, 25 February, 2008, 07:28 GMT

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