No bail: Suspected rebel leader Henry Okah
Nigeria court denies Okah bail
A Nigerian court has denied bail to Henry Okah, the suspected leader of the main militant group in the oil-producing Niger Delta, defence lawyers said.
Okah is believed to be the leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend), whose campaign of sabotage against Africa's biggest oil industry has cut output by a fifth, helping to push up global energy prices.
"Bail was refused because of the nature of the charges.We are not surprised and we will appeal," Wilson Ajuwa, one of Okah's lawyers, told Reuters.
Okah, who was arrested in Angola in September and extradited to Nigeria to face trial for gun-running and treason, still commands loyalty from several well-armed factions in the delta. He could face the death penalty if convicted.
His trial in camera in the central city of Jos has angered his supporters and prompted Mend to scale up its campaign of attacks on oil facilities.
Okah's lawyers filed a new motion today for his release on the grounds that his defence team has not had access to witness statements or other prosecution evidence. A hearing has been set for 19 September.