Nigeria's ex-militant leader held over 'inflammatory' comments; Released later

Nigeria's secret police said on Thursday that it was holding a former militant leader from the oil-rich Niger Delta, in the latest crackdown on potential trouble before elections next year. Presidential and parliamentary polls are scheduled for February 2015 but tensions are already rising between President Goodluck Jonathan's ruling party and the main opposition. Department of State Services (DSS) spokeswoman Marylin Ogar told AFP that Mujahid Asari-Dokubo, leader of the outlawed Niger Delta Volunteer Force, had been invited for questioning. "His invitation is based on our earlier warning to all Nigerians to desist from making inflammatory statements that could threaten (the) peace and security of the nation," she said. "He is still with us." The Niger Delta Volunteer Force led a violent campaign to seek a greater share of Nigeria's oil wealth from the people of the resource-rich south during the presidency of Olusegun Obasanjo, who ruled from 1999 to 2007. The activities of Asari-Dokubo, a Muslim convert formerly known as Melford Dokubo Goodhead Jr, led to a substantial drop in Nigeria's oil production, prompting the government to jail him. He was released in 2007 after renouncing violence, and has lately been drumming up support for Jonathan, who also hails from the Niger Delta region. "The last time Obasanjo arrested me, my arrest reduced Nigeria's oil production to 700,000 barrels per day," he was quoted as saying in the local media. "This time, we will reduce it to zero and we will match violence with violence. We are ready for them. Jonathan will complete his tenure of two terms whether they like it or not." Asari-Dokubo is concerned that another president may roll back on agreements that have seen a greater share of oil revenues distributed back to the producing regions. Last week, the DSS quizzed Nasir El-Rufai, a former minister and key opposition figure, over comments he made that were interpreted as a possible incitement to violence. The DSS last month warned anyone seeking to foment unrest before the keenly watched vote after the two main parties traded threats and insults over the key state of Rivers, in the southern Delta.

The state's governor, Rotimi Amaechi, has been locked in a battle with Jonathan for months over claims that Rivers was missing out on lucrative oil revenue and federal infrastructure projects. Amaechi was one of five governors to defect last year from Jonathan's Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), prompting dozens of lawmakers to follow suit. The APC on January 23 accused state police commissioner Joseph Mbu of being a "de facto military governor" for disrupting peaceful party rallies, including one in which a key Amaechi ally was shot. Mbu is widely seen by the opposition as loyal to Jonathan. On Thursday, the Police Service Commission announced that Mbu would be redeployed from Rivers to the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja, without specifying the date for the transfer. He will be replaced by Johnson Ogunsaki, who moves from the Special Fraud Unit. The information commissioner for Rivers state, Ibim Semenitari, said Mbu had been a "major embarrassment" for the police while APC spokesman Lai Mohammed said their stance had been vindicated. "God has answered our prayer. When God has answered your prayer and He is on your side, what else can you say?" he added. "People accused us of making too much noise about Mbu. But our so-called noise has paid off. Let us watch and see what happens. His personal assistant (Media), Rex Asari who confirmed the release to newsmen said, “Yes, he was released. We are heading home now,” Mr. Asari said