Henry Okah, leader of
Nigeria’s militant group, Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta, MEND,
was jailed Tuesday by South African court for 24 years after he was convicted
of 13 terrorism charges over twin bombings in Abuja in 2010.
“Effectively, the accused
Okah is therefore sentenced to 24 years imprisonment,” said Judge Neels
Claassen.
Twelve people were killed in
the bomb attacks in the Nigerian capital as the country was celebrating the
50th anniversary of its independence.
The state argued that Okah
showed little remorse during the trial, and that his intentions in the bombings
were to “obtain maximum casualties.”
The Movement for the
Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), which in 2010 was a well-equipped armed
group fighting for a greater share of the Delta oil wealth, claimed
responsibility for the attacks.
Okah, who has permanent
residency in South Africa, has denied any involvement in the bombings, claiming
the charges against him were politically motivated.
He was also found guilty of
terrorism charges related to two explosions in March 2010 in the southern
Nigerian city of Warri, a major hub in the oil-rich Delta region.
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