Asari Dokubo:arrested by Benin gendarmes
The Niger Delta People Salvation Front, NDPSF, as well as the Niger-Delta People Volunteer Force, NDPVF, two groups claiming to be fighting for the emancipation of Nigeria’s Niger-Delta region, have given the government of Benin Republic 48 hours for the release of one of their leaders, Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, who was arrested in Cotonou, Benin Republic on Tuesday afternoon.
Since his arrest, his lawyer, Festus Keyamo, says he has remained incommunicado.
The groups also called on youths in the region to remain alert as they are ready for a showdown.
“We hereby make demand on the Republic of Benin President, Mr. Yayi Bonni, to release unconditionally with immediate effect our leader, Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, and offer unreserved apology to him for this monumental breach of his rights.
“We hereby make it known that we shall by every means necessary draw the attention of the international community to the reality of our condition that is politically motivated by enemies of the Dr. Goodluck Jonathan administration and of our struggle for the emancipation of our people who are afraid of the unfading rising profile of our leader as a defender of the rights of the oppressed.
“We call on all the aggrieved youths of Niger-Delta to be on red alert and ready for a total showdown and shut down if in the next 48 hours his release has not been made,” the group said in a joint statement signed by four top members of the groups.
The groups said the same people who have been making moves to distabilise President Jonathan’s government were those behind the arrest Dokubo-Asari, as a search conducted on his house in Cotonou did not provide any reason to get him detained.
“We wish to put these characters on notice that should political crisis swallow the West Africa sub-region, the blame will be upon them,” the groups said.
Calling on President Goodluck Jonathan and the African Union to mediate on this potential diplomatic row, they described Dokubo-Asari’s arrest as unjustifiable, absurd and extremely provoking.
“We consider this a kidnap of our leader by the President of the Republic of Benin working with certain opposition figures in Nigeria,” while denying that their organisations remain determination groups rather than the impression that they are militant groups.
“Our struggle which today has advanced the cause of social justice in Nigeria is a just, moral and legitimate struggle that is in tandem with the United Nations charter and Convention on Self Determination.
“We wish to reiterate that our leader has been living legally in the Republic of Benin for some years and has been law abiding doing his businesses in accordance with the best practices,” the groups said.
Keyamo had raised an alarm over the arrest of Dokubo-Asari, his client saying the Benin Republic gendarmes picked him up between 1pm and 2pm on Tuesday.
In a letter Keyamo wrote to President Jonathan on Wednesday over the arrest, he said: “we write to bring to your notice that on Tuesday, 26 November, 2013, a Nigerian citizen, Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, was unjustly arrested in Cotonou, Benin Republic, around the hours of 1pm and 2pm by the country’s gendarmes.
“He was picked up around the Lubeleyi roundabout and taken to an unknown destination.
“We want to emphasise that Alhaji Dokubo-Asari, even though a Nigerian, carries on legitimate business and has been living partly in Benin Republic for many years now. In fact, he owns houses, schools and an academy in that country.”
In the letter, Keyamo said the houses, schools and academy had been searched and nothing incriminating was found.
“We think his arrest and detention is a ploy by certain forces in Nigeria in unholy alliance with the Beninoise government to keep him away as 2015 approaches.
“We call on you to use your good offices to immediately intervene and ensure that no harm befalls Alhaji Dokubo-Asari and to use all diplomatic means to secure his immediate release and safe return to Nigeria,” the letter read.
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