Two
days before the Thursday, February 6 arrest by the State Security
Service, leader of the Niger Delta People's Volunteer Force Mujahid
Dokubo-Asari spoke in an exclusive interview with Premium Times about
his arrest in Benin Republic.
Dokubo-Asari alleged
that former President Olusegun Obasanjo, along with some leaders of the
All Progressives Congress, wanted him in Benin Republic prison so that
they could perpetrate electoral malpractices in the upcoming 2015
general elections.
He specifically stated that President Obasanjo
sent his name to the INTERPOL, asking the organization to arrest and
detain Dokubo-Asari.
"They believe
that if I'm around in 2015, ... if people like me are around in 2015,
they will not be able to do what they want to.
"Benin
republic is a democracy and there is rule of law. Of course, they
examined the accusations leveled against me and they found out that
there was nothing.
"I hear
that some APC leader said I should rot in prison, and they were even
putting pressure on my lawyer. They have forgotten that it was through
me that Festus Keyamo [his lawyer] became a member of the APC,
because I was a founding member of ACN. They are the ones who will
surely rot in prison because my hands are clean."
Neither
the APC spokesman Lai Mohammed, nor ex-President Obasanjo could not be
reached for comments. Obasanjo's aides said the former president will
not respond to allegations from an "inconsequential character like Dokubo-Asari".
Dokubo-Asari
says he has been managing three schools in Benin Republic since 2008,
and there are 500 people under his emplyment. There, he says he kept a
low profile and few people knew him. After receiving a report from
Obasanjo, Benin Republic authorities arrested him. After the
investigations, they, found nothing incriminating. Thanks to some Igbos
and South-South associations, Dokubo-Asari was released.
He adds that President Goodluck Jonathan did intervene into the matter to secure his release, but there was no presidential jet sent after him to Benin Republic.
Once, during an interrogation, he told the SSS that they had no right to arrest him unless they arrest former Head of State and APC leader, Muhammadu Buhari, first.
READ MORE: http://news.naij.com/58857.html
He adds that President Goodluck Jonathan did intervene into the matter to secure his release, but there was no presidential jet sent after him to Benin Republic.
"But Obasanjo sent a
presidential jet to pick me from Port Harcourt when I came out from the
creeks to Abuja. Did he not cancel Oct 1 [Independence Day] celebrations in the history of this country because of me in 2004?" Dokubo-Asari remembered.
He said he is one of the most prosecuted persons in Nigeria, having been detained over 73 times already. One time, when he was"under the ground" for 10 moths 11 days, and it felt like being buried alive. He said the SSS expected him to go crazy, but he did not.Once, during an interrogation, he told the SSS that they had no right to arrest him unless they arrest former Head of State and APC leader, Muhammadu Buhari, first.
"I was
with the SSS several times last year. I don’t need to make noise about
it. We Ijaw people are men, we can't make noise anyhow.
"I
was invited over the statement that I make and I went there and I told
them I have the right to reply if somebody threatens my people, I will
reply him. See if you didn't arrest Buhari for threatening my people,
you have no right to arrest me.
"A
man contests election, then threaten the people, he becomes a burden
and if no action is taken, he would actualize his threats. But if he
knows that there will be resistance and the resistance will overwhelm
him, he will be careful to make such statements, he will be careful to
make plans against my people.
"Goodluck Jonathan comes from a place, and it is our duty to protect him whether he's doing well for us or not."
Last Thursday, Dokubo-Asari was invited by the SSS and interrogated for about six hours for the following comment:
"We'll
make Nigeria ungovernable if Jonathan fails to return. If it is war the
North wants, we are ready for them because Jonathan must complete the
mandatory constitutionally allowable two terms of eight years."
Prominent
among those who demanded his arrest were a former Head of State and APC
leader, Muhhamadu Buhari and a rights group, Muslim Rights Concern,
MURIC. READ MORE: http://news.naij.com/58857.html
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