Monday 21 January 2013

Henry Okah convicted by a South African court of Nigeria's 2010 Independence Day Bombings

Henry Okah

A South African court has found Nigerian militant Henry Okah guilty of masterminding the 2010 car bombing which killed 12 people.

Okah was convicted of 13 counts related to acts of terrorism.

He was arrested in Johannesburg a day after two car bombs exploded during the 50th anniversary of
Nigeria's independence.

He had denied the charges and militant group Mend said it had carried out the attack.

Okah has always denied being Mend's leader.

Johannesburg High Court Judge Neels Claassen convicted Okah on charges ranging from conspiracy to commit terrorism to detonating explosives.

"I have come to the conclusion that the state proved beyond reasonable doubt the guilt of the accused," Judge Claassen said, AFP news agency reports.

Prosecutor Shaun Abrahams told AP news agency that Okah faced life in prison.

South Africa worked closely with foreign law enforcement agencies "to make sure justice is done in Africa," he said.


"This [conviction] is clearly indicative that South Africa cannot be seen as a safe haven for international terrorists," Mr Abrahams said.

Okah was arrested on gun-running charges in Angola in 2007 and then transferred to Nigeria but never get convicted.


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