Militia leader in Nigeria's oil delta to appear in court Thursday

Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo Asari, leader of the largest militia group in Nigeria's volatile oil-producing Niger Delta, who was arrested last month, is to appear in court in Abuja, the country's capital, on Thursday.

His lawyer and human rights activist, Festus Keyamo, told reporters that Asari, who is the leader of the Niger Delta People's Volunteers Force (NDPVF), would be charged with 21 treason offenses before a federal high court.

Unrest caused by Asari's arrest last month hit the Niger Delta, where almost all Nigeria's oil is produced, resulting in the brief shut-down of two oil flowstations operated by US oil giant Chevron.

But his followers later backed down form threats to blow up all oil facilities there, saying they will wait for the release of Asari.

Nigerian police had said Asari was quizzed and arrested over " seditious and treasonable" comments in a newspaper interview, in which he vowed to "continue to fight and try to see that Nigeria dissolves and disintegrates."

On September 22, Nigerian Justice Minister, Bayo Ojo, secured an order of a high court for his two-week detention so that they would have enough time to prepare charges against Asari.

Keyamo said he was with his client when he was interrogated by the police and commended the country's Inspector General of Police Sunday Ehindero to give him free access to his client.

The Niger Delta has a daily oil output of more than 2 million barrels, but local residents have been living in poverty. Although President Olusegun Obasanjo has tried to change the situation by setting up the Niger Delta Development Commission, locals are not happy about the slow pace of work.

Violence in this region leads to about 1,000 deaths per year and has a negative impact on world oil prices.

Source: Xinhua