Activist lawyer, Festus Keyamo has described the trial and judgement of Henry Okah, leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) as political.
Mr Keyamo, in a telephone interview with Channels Television, said Mr Okah’s problems started when he refused an offer to support the leadership of President Goodluck Jonathan.
He said, “I want to let Nigerians and the World know that there’s a lot of politics involved in this matter; because I am aware that so many overtures were made to Henry Okah to support the Jonathan administration openly, like other militants were doing.
“They needed his support so badly and government officials, friends of Jonathan travelled to South Africa, met Henry Okah, stayed with him and courted his support. Henry Okah did not agree to their terms. They wanted him to openly support the Jonathan’s administration at that time.”
Mr Okah was on Tuesday jailed for 24 years by the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg after being convicted of masterminding the 15 March 2010 bombing in Warri, Delta State and the 1 October bombing in Abuja.
The court handed a 10 year jail term to Mr Okah for MEND’s threat to deal with South Africans.
