I was arrested for being a Boko Haram leader – Asari Dokubo

I was arrested for being a Boko Haram
leader – Asari Dokubo
on november 30, 2013 at 9:08 pm in news
*Says Jonathan intervened on his behalf
By Levinus Nwabughiogu
A former President of Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) and
leader of the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force
(NDPVF), Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, who was
arrested last week in Republic of Benin, has
accused those opposed to the second term
ambition of President Goodluck Jonathan of
masterminding his arrest.
Asari, who apparently betrayed emotion on arrival at
the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja,
Friday night, also said he was arrested and
interrogated by Benin officials over an allegation
from Nigeria that he is a leader of Boko Haram.
Speaking to journalists at the airport, he also
described as lies the report that Jonathan sent a
presidential jet to fly him into Nigeria from Benin.
His words: “Crisis is normal, it can also happen
here in Nigeria, it can happen anywhere in the
world. The people and government of Republic of
Benin have no problem with me.
But if people alleged that somebody is a leader of
Boko Haram, the government of that country will
investigate the person.
”The allegation has much to do with 2015 because
when you read comments on social media, you find
out that people who are against President Goodluck
Jonathan said they should vilify me, and make sure
I die before 2015.
Asari Dokubo
But they are not going to succeed. I am not going to
die. I will be present in 2015, and I will do what I am
going to do to ensure that Jonathan wins in 2015.
There is nothing they can do about it. This is their
last fight and it is so unfortunate that the way they
are going with show how immature they are.
“I just arrived from Cotonou. I drove in my car from
Cotonou to Lagos airport where I boarded a flight to
Abuja. The report is not true. No presidential jet was
sent to me.
”I do business in Cotonou, and I have been living in
Cotonou since 2008. Politically, people who are in
Nigeria are trying to fabricate lies, which are not
variable, and send it to Republic of Benin
government. So I was taken for interrogation and
they found that the allegations were false, and I was
promptly released with over 20 of my staff who
were also taken in.”
The former warlord, however, said his arrest was a
blessing in disguise as he had an opportunity of
meeting with officials of Benin after his
interrogation. “I have met with the top and powerful
people in Republic of Benin. Since I went to that
country, I have never had any reason to meet with
their government officials, but this crisis has made
it possible for me to meet with all top government
functionaries of the Republic of Benin. The crisis
has raised my profile in that country.”
Asked whether President Jonathan intervened to
secure his release, he said: “It is not just only
President Jonathan that intervened, Nigerians
generally intervened. The number of people that
came into Cotonou the day I was taken in, and the
following day, were over one thousand.”