Presidency Intervenes In Dokubo-Asari’s Arrest
President Goodluck Jonathan is believed to have intervened in the
arrest, Tuesday, of Alhaji Muhajeed Dokubo-Asari by the government of
Republic of Benin.
Presidency sources told Daily Independent on Wednesday that the
president had sought for details of why Dokubo-Asari was taken in by
the Benin Republic gendarmes through the Nigerian Ambassador to that
country.
The ex-militant was reportedly arrested around the Lubeleyi roundabout
between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. on Tuesday and taken to an unknown
destination, according to his lawyer, Festus Kayamo, who in a
statement said, "Dokubo-Asari 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. All
these places have been searched as at this evening (Tuesday) and
nothing incriminating found," Keyamo stated.
When Daily Independent spoke to Keyamo on Wednesday, he reiterated
that "no official issue" had been established against his client, even
though he did not rule out "political undertone" in the entire saga.
Explaining that his office had written to the presidency on the
development, Kayamo said it was not unlikely the intervention was on
the strength of his petition.
Regardless, we got it on good authority that President Jonathan had
directed the appropriate offices in the presidency to follow up on the
matter with a view to getting the right insight into the nature of the
alleged offence before throwing his weight behind the controversial
Nigerian.
Our dependable source told us that President Jonathan had been getting
several calls since the arrest was reported, from those who believe
early presidential intervention had become necessary.
Most of the calls, we were told, were from prominent persons from the
South South area of the country where Dokubo-Asari hails from.
Dokubo-Asari is a major political figure of the Ijaw ethnic group in
the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. He was president of the Ijaw Youth
Council (IYC) for a time beginning in 2001 and later founded the Niger
Delta People's Volunteer Force (NDPVF) which would become one of the
most prominent armed groups operating in the Niger Delta region. He is
a Muslim with populist views and an anti-government stance that have
made him a folk hero amongst certain members of the local population.
arrest, Tuesday, of Alhaji Muhajeed Dokubo-Asari by the government of
Republic of Benin.
Presidency sources told Daily Independent on Wednesday that the
president had sought for details of why Dokubo-Asari was taken in by
the Benin Republic gendarmes through the Nigerian Ambassador to that
country.
The ex-militant was reportedly arrested around the Lubeleyi roundabout
between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. on Tuesday and taken to an unknown
destination, according to his lawyer, Festus Kayamo, who in a
statement said, "Dokubo-Asari 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. All
these places have been searched as at this evening (Tuesday) and
nothing incriminating found," Keyamo stated.
When Daily Independent spoke to Keyamo on Wednesday, he reiterated
that "no official issue" had been established against his client, even
though he did not rule out "political undertone" in the entire saga.
Explaining that his office had written to the presidency on the
development, Kayamo said it was not unlikely the intervention was on
the strength of his petition.
Regardless, we got it on good authority that President Jonathan had
directed the appropriate offices in the presidency to follow up on the
matter with a view to getting the right insight into the nature of the
alleged offence before throwing his weight behind the controversial
Nigerian.
Our dependable source told us that President Jonathan had been getting
several calls since the arrest was reported, from those who believe
early presidential intervention had become necessary.
Most of the calls, we were told, were from prominent persons from the
South South area of the country where Dokubo-Asari hails from.
Dokubo-Asari is a major political figure of the Ijaw ethnic group in
the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. He was president of the Ijaw Youth
Council (IYC) for a time beginning in 2001 and later founded the Niger
Delta People's Volunteer Force (NDPVF) which would become one of the
most prominent armed groups operating in the Niger Delta region. He is
a Muslim with populist views and an anti-government stance that have
made him a folk hero amongst certain members of the local population.
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