The City Reporters
President Jonathan
President Goodluck Jonathan has accused “someone” among Nigeria’s political elite of contracting the leader of the Movement for Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND), Henry Okah, to assassinate him.
The President made the declaration during his campaign rally at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) in Lagos, Thursday.
President Jonathan said Okah, who is currently serving a jail term in South Africa for terrorism charges, is responsible for the October 2010 Abuja bombing.
“Okah is in South African prison because on the 1st October 2010 during the celebration of Nigeria 50th year independent,” Jonathan said.
The President’s statement is the opposite of what he claimed as at the time of the bombing.
On October 3, 2010, the President had absolved the MEND of complicity in the bomb blasts which claimed scores of lives as the country was celebrating its golden jubilee independence anniversary.
“What happened yesterday (October 1, 2010) was a terrorist act and MEND was just used as a straw; MEND is not a terrorist group,” President Jonathan was quoted to have said.
“It is erroneous to think that my people who have been agitating for good living will deliberately blow up the opportunity they have now.”
The president has, however, reversed that claim and accused political elements within Nigeria of plotting to use Okah’s MEND to kill him.
“Okah was procured by someone in Nigeria to assassinate me and Okah bombed Abuja,” the President told the mammoth crowd at the Lagos rally.
“The South African intelligent system and Nigeria intelligent system roped him in that plan to assassinate me and he is now in jail in South Africa,” he said.
Henry Okah, on his part, has allegedly accused President Jonathan of masterminding the attack for unknown political reasons.
