Henry Okah attempts jail break in South Africa, rearrested!

Leader of the now rested Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, Henry Okah was one of the five inmates who attempted to break out of South African Prison, Leeukop.

Spokesperson for the South Africa’s Department of Correctional Services, Manelisi Wolela, confirmed the foiled attempt by Henry and four other inmates.

Wolela said, “I can confirm that Okah is one of the five inmates that attempted to escape and whose efforts were foiled.”He did not give further details of the attempted escape from Leeukop Prison in Northern Johannesburg that was said to have taken place last month.

Okah was convicted last year and sentenced on a 13-count charge of terrorism, including twin bombings that claimed 12 lives in Abuja during the country’s 50th Independence Anniversary in 2010.

According to the Department, most of the offenders involved in the foiled escape bid were currently serving life sentences for various offences, including murder, kidnapping and robbery.

Judge Neels Claaseen, last year, sentenced Okah to 24 years in prison after he was found guilty of the 13-count charge of acts of terrorism.

The judge stated that the struggle of the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND), “is politically motivated and as a result, a maximum sentence for Okah will be inappropriate.”

“As a signatory, South Africa is duty-bound to adopt the treaty and incorporate it into the laws of South Africa, in other words domicile the treaty,” Claaseen said.

Claaseen further added that all the 13 counts Mr. Okah was convicted of were related to three events:

“The first event was the March 15, 2010 bomb attack, where two car bombs occurred at the venue of a political gathering which was being attended by the Delta State Governor in Warri, Delta State, where one person died and several others were injured.

“The second event occurred on October 1, 2010, in Abuja, where two car bombs exploded, killing eight people with several others injured.

“Third event is the threat to the Nigerian government.

“All these three events were targeted at embarrassing President Goodluck Jonathan,” Mr. Claaseen said.