Friday, August 07, 2009

PRESS STATEMENT ON

THE ALLEGATIONS OF THE BREAK AWAY FACTION OF DOKUBO ASARI’S GROUP.

The attention of my client and friend Mujaheed Dokubo Asari has been drawn to various newspaper reports today on the wild allegations made by one Wisdom Ipalibo Amachree who claims to be his deputy. Mujaheed Dokubo Asari, who is presently undergoing treatment in Germany has quickly contacted me and has instructed me to issue the following statement on his behalf:

“Tamunokuro Princewill was arrested along with Kingsley Solomon, Dapaye Dappa, Solomon Princewill(Tamunokuro's son) and others. One Wisdom Ipalibo Amachree the most senior commander of Niger Delta Peoples’ Volunteer Force in the eastern command called a meeting first at my residence in Warri and later at my PH residence to persuade all other commanders to accept the amnesty of the Federal Government and that my rejection of amnesty was not in their interest. There was disagreement amongst them. Some accepted his position and others advised that they should await my return from my medical trip. Wisdom Amachree and others decided to surrender some arms and ammunitions in their possession. He said he has met with IGP and some money was given to him. The others demanded to know the actual amount and he refused to disclose the amount. This led to a disagreement amongst them. He then turned them over to the security agencies.

 

Before then they have gone to bring in 43 AK47, 500 magazines and 38 cans of ammunitions through Rumuodogo to Tamunokuro's residence at Rumuji, all in Emouha LGA in Tamunokuro's absence, who was away to Aba for business. The wife of Tamunokuro did not suspect anything because her husband was the leader of Niger Delta Peoples’ Volunteer Force in the east. If not how can any reasonable person keep such large quantity of arms and ammunition in his private residence directly behind the Rumuji Divisional Police Headquarters?....

 

In conclusion, we must avoid falling into the throes of what Adaka Boro foresaw forty years ago. Let them call us terrorist, let them call us bandits but it is important and critical that we remain resolute in the pursuit of the ideals of our fallen heroes like Isaac Adaka Boro, Ken Saro Wiwa and a host of others”........Dokubo-Asari

The summation of this statement is that the arms recovered were actually arms that were gathered for the purpose of accepting the amnesty offer by a faction of the Niger Delta Peoples’ Volunteer Force. By arresting these leaders of the Niger Delta Peoples’ Volunteer Force who were about to surrender arms in acceptance of the amnesty package, the Federal Government has shown bad faith in its amnesty offer and has shown that, perhaps, the whole thing is a ruse and a trap meant to lure out militants for capture.

Thank you.

FESTUS KEYAMO, ESQ.