Group wants fair hearing for detained campaigner

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4 September 2011

Group wants fair hearing for detained campaigner

 

The Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) has asked the Dutch authorities to give detained environmental campaigner and founder of Hope for Niger-Delta Campaign, Sunny Ofehe, a fair hearing when his case comes up for hearing on September 5.

ERA/FoEN's call is predicated on the manner the Dutch authorities have so far handled the matter after Mr. Ofehe's arrest and detention for unstated reasons.

Mr. Ofehe was arrested by Dutch authorities in Rotterdam on 22 February, 2011, and has been kept in detention since. The Dutch authorities initially kept mum over the reason for Mr. Ofehe's arrest and denied anyone access to him except his lawyer who was barred from speaking to anyone on the matter.

Earlier reports from his clients indicated that the charge against Mr. Ofehe was based on people smuggling and forgery. This was subsequently substituted with terrorism which was hinged on tapped phone calls between him and an acquaintance in Nigeria in which Mr. Ofehe was said to have tried to come to an agreement to record bunkering of oil pipelines in the Niger Delta-region.