afrol News, 6 March - The leader of Niger Delta militant group, Henry Okah has failed to appear before a court in the capital Abuja.

It was however disclosed that he was charged in absentia with 14 charges, including treason, murder, bank robbery, kidnapping, endangering the state and arms trafficking. He faces death penalty if found guilty.

His lawyers, who diffuse rumours of Mr Okah's killing in detention, met the Attorney General so that they could visit him.

He is expected to appear in court next month.

Mr Okah's militant group, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) speculated that their leader was mistakenly shot dead by a prison guard and threatened to go on rampage if the state refused to parade him in public.

The government has refused to allow access to him, insisting that he is "safe and well". The court had earlier ruled against his release.

Okah, who founded MEND, was arrested alongside a Nigerian navy captain, Edward Atatah in Angola last September on arms trafficking charges before they were extradited to Nigeria last month.

The men denied the allegations, arguing that they were buying a second hand trawler for a marine engineering business.

So far, MEND is the only militant group in the oil-rich region that has refused the government's conditions in exchange of a ceasefire. that has abandoned the government's conditions for a ceasefire.

The group dealt a big blow two years back after it had cut oil production by a quarter.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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