- The Nigerian presidency has said the detained leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) Henry Okah has accepted the unconditional amnesty offer by the Federal Government. Mr Okah is facing treason and gun-running charges since his arrest in Angola in 2007.
The Presidency yesterday said that he would soon be released after all paper work and arrangements have been made.
The adviser to the President on Media and Publicity Olusegun Adeniyi said the acceptance of amnesty by Mr Okah was widely accepted by the government saying the government is facilitating his release.
Mr Adeniyi said President Umaru Yar'Adua has also called on the remaining militant leaders to avail themselves for the amnesty offer to pave the way for peace and rapid development in the Niger Delta.
The Federal Government offered an amnesty to members of militant group in June, if they agree to government terms to lay down their weapons.
MEND has expressed delight over the prospect of Mr Okah's release based on his acceptance of the amnesty package.
MEND spokesman, Jomo Gbomo, said if Mr Okah accepts the conditions for his release, which the group would not call amnesty, fighters would switch the campaign to a different level to accommodate the changes.
“We are happy for him. We consider his acceptance of whatever was presented to him as the first prescription towards his medical treatment. We will do the same in his circumstance,” Mr Gbomo said.
MEND, which among its top demands was the release of the Mr Okah, said his release signals commitment of the government to ensure that rebels in the oil rich Delta region lay down arms.
However, it said there still a number of issues that needs to be sorted out with the government before they could accept the amnesty.
Armed attacks and kidnappings and hijackings of vessels in the Niger Delta, which is home to Nigeria's oil industry, have cut the African nation's exports more than 20 percent since 2006.
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, the main armed group in the region, says it's fighting for the region's poor and has distanced itself from armed groups engaged in kidnappings for ransom.
afrol News - It is called "financial inclusion", and it is a key government policy in Rwanda. The goal is that, by 2020, 90 percent of the population is to have and actively use bank accounts. And in only four years, financial inclusion has doubled in Rwanda.
afrol News - The UN's humanitarian agencies now warn about a devastating famine in Sudan and especially in South Sudan, where the situation is said to be "imploding". Relief officials are appealing to donors to urgently fund life-saving activities in the two countries.
afrol News - Fear is spreading all over West Africa after the health ministry in Guinea confirmed the first Ebola outbreak in this part of Africa. According to official numbers, at least 86 are infected and 59 are dead as a result of this very contagious disease.
afrol News - It is already a crime being homosexual in Ethiopia, but parliament is now making sure the anti-gay laws will be applied in practical life. No pardoning of gays will be allowed in future, but activist fear this only is a signal of further repression being prepared.
afrol News / Africa Renewal - Ethiopia's ambitious plan to build a US$ 4.2 billion dam in the Benishangul-Gumuz region, 40 km from its border with Sudan, is expected to provide 6,000 megawatts of electricity, enough for its population plus some excess it can sell to neighbouring countries.
front page
| news
| countries
| archive
| currencies
| news alerts login
| about afrol News
| contact
| advertise
| español