Nigeria - Niger Delta

Court frees Mend leader despite attack on oil jetty

Article published on the 2009-07-13 Latest update 2009-07-14 06:35 TU

Mend rebels preparing for an attack in September 2008
(Photo: AFP)

A Nigerian court has freed Henry Okah of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend) rebel group after he accepted an amnesty offer. Right before his release, five workers were killed in a Sunday's attack by the Mend on a Lagos oil jetty, according to Nigerian officials.

The court freed leading Mend member Henry Okah Monday, after he said he would accept a government amnesty. It dropped treason charges against him because he accepted the deal, which the government says is meant to help a peaceful settlement of violence in the oil-rich Niger delta.

Although some militants have said they would lay down arms upon Okah's release, analysts believe violence will persist.

Hours before Okah’s release, the bodies of five workers, all burned beyond recognition, were found at the Atlas Cove jetty, said emergency services official Geoffrey Boukoro.

He said the armed men exchanged fire with the navy guarding the facility, before using dynamite to hit ten pipes.

Mend said in a statement that it had carried out “an unprecedented attack” on the Atlas Cove Jetty, located in the Lagos harbour area.

“I think it’s a message from the extremist fringe of the militant groups, to show that they have this capacity to scuttle any settlement of the political problem in the Niger Delta,” Jibril Ibrahim, director of the Centre for Democracy and Development, told RFI.

Ibrahim said Mend is starting to fracture, with some wanting to work with the government, and other, more fringe elements, wanting to continue fighting.

“Some of the militants are going to lay down their arms and engage in the process of political negotiation,” he said. “In issues like this you learn to move gradually… until you are finally able to isolate the fringe elements who are not ready for a resolution.”

Mend began their armed rebellion, what they call an "oil war", in southern Nigeria in 2006. They have said they will cripple the industry until locals get a better share of the oil wealth.