BEVERLY HILLS, CA, November 28, (THEWILL) – The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) on Wednesday asked the authorities in Benin Republic to immediately release the leader of the Niger Delta People’s Volunteer Force, Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, who was arrested in Cotonou on Tuesday .
MEND’s spokesman, Jomo Gbomo, said in an email that the group may resort to attacking Republic of Benin’s interest if the diplomatic moves to get Asari’s release fail .
“If diplomacy fails to prevail, we will not rule out any form of attacks on the Republic of Benin’s interests,” Gbomo said.
“The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) will not abandon Mr. Asari Dokubo at this time as we will not abandon Henry Okah, his brother Charles Okah and others still incarcerated.
“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,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, the Niger Delta People Salvation Front cum the Niger Delta People Volunteer Force (NDPSF/NDPVF), two groups controlled by Asari have condemned the arrest of its leader in Benin Republic.
An aide to Asari who doubled as spokesman of the group, Comrade Rex Ekuigbo Anighoro, in a statement said: “We do condemn in the strongest terms the recent unjust and unjustifiable arrest of our leader Alhaji Mujahid Abubakr Dokubo Asari by the government of Republic of Benin.
“We hold this arrest as an absurdity of the extremity that this unprovoked and questionable arrest 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 State .
“In view of the fact that our leader and movement have been at the forefront of the Niger Delta People emancipation struggle, we wish to bring to the notice of the international community that Alhaji Mujahid Abubakar Dokubo Asari is not a militant nor a terrorist neither does he lead a militant or terrorist organization .
“Our organisation is an internationally well known self- determination movement seeking social justice for the people of the Niger Delta in the territorial boundaries of the Nigerian Union.Our struggle which today has advanced the cause of social justice in Nigeria is a just,moral and legitimate struggle that is in tandem with United Nations charter and convention on self determination .
“We wish to reiterate that our leader has been living legally in the Republic of Benin for some years and has been law abiding doing his businesses in accordance to the best practices .
“We do state unequivocally that we know the persons behind the present ordeal of our leader persons whose sanguinary penchant to destablising the Nigerian Government under Dr. Goodluck Jonathan is legendary.We ask these hawks and vampires to caution their friends of international collaborators to reverse this preposterous shenanigan and hollow mischief or be prepared for what could become one of the biggest diplomatic show down in the West Africa sub region .
“We wish to put these characters on notice that should political crisis swallow the West Africa sub region, the blame will be upon them.
“We hereby make demand on the Republic of Benin President, Mr. Yayi Bonni, to release unconditionally with immediate effect , our leader ,Alhaji Mujahid Abubakar Dokubo Asari, and offer unreserved apology to him for this monumental breach of his rights.
“We hereby make it known that we shall by every means necessary draw the attention of the international community to the reality of our condition that is politically motivated by enemies of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan administration and of our struggle for the emancipation of our people who are afraid of the unfading rising profile of our leader as a defender of the rights of the oppressed.
“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 with urgency mediate on this potential diplomatic row that may lead to an unprecedented conflagration in the West Africa sub region and beyond. We are watching and waiting impatiently.”
