A spokesman for Nigeria's former military leader Gen Ibrahim Babangida condemned the detention of one of Babangida's aides in connection to the car bombings in Abuja. The arrest of Raymond Dokpesi was "frivolous", said Kassim Afegbua.
According to Nigerian police Dokpesi exchanged text messages with key bomb suspect Henry Okah, and was one of nine people arrested over the attack which killed at least 10 people, on the day of Nigeria's independence celebrations.
Dokpesi, who owns the Africa Independent Television network, has recently been appointed as Babangida's chief of staff. Speaking about the arrest Afegbua said it was nothing more than a "political witch-hunt". He was released without charge but is expected to be questioned later in the day.
Okah has denied any links to the bombing, but a communiqué sent by the militant group he once headed has said it had carried out the attacks. If confirmed, this would be the first attack Nigeria's militants have carried out in the capital. Okah, who resides in South Africa, is believed to lead a militant faction of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend), opposed to a government amnesty for the oil-producing Niger Delta. South African authorities have described Okah as the mastermind behind the attack.
Source: BBC News
For more news and expert analysis about Nigeria, please see Nigeria Focus and Nigeria Politics & Security.
No comments:
Post a Comment