JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Suspected Nigerian militant leader Henry Okah, who faces conspiracy and terrorism charges relating to car bombs in Nigeria that killed at least 10 people, was denied bail on Friday by a South African court.

The SAPA news agency quoted magistrate Hein Louw as saying Okah had failed to prove he had no links to the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), a militant group which claimed responsibility for the October 1 blasts.

"The most damning evidence is that in a letter written in her handwriting, the applicant's wife refers to him as being the leader of MEND," Louw said.

South African prosecutors and police said Okah was the mastermind of the bombings in the Nigerian capital during celebrations marking 50 years of independence last month.

Okah, who is resident in South Africa, denied any involvement. He was arrested shortly after the blasts.