The leader of the Niger Delta People’s Volunteer Force, Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, who was arrested on Tuesday in Cotonou, Benin Republic has been released.
Dokubo was released after President Goodluck Jonathan personally intervened on his behalf with the Beninoise President Yayi Boni.
Festus Keyamo, a civil rights activist and personal attorney to Dokubo confirmed his release.
Dokubo, who once bragged openly that his arrest will lead to the demise of Nigeria spent 36 hours with the Beninoise gendarmes before his release in the early morning of today.
President Jonathan was said to have deployed a jet to ferry the former militant to Abuja a few hours after his release.
The Niger Delta People’s Volunteer Force, NDPVF, the violent cult group headed by Dokubo had warned the authorities of Benin Republic to free the former militant leader or be ready to face its wrath.
Rex Ekiugbo Anighoro, the group’s current leader in a statement in Abuja last night, likened the arrest to a kidnap by the authorities, said that they were appalled by the unprovoked breach of the fundamental rights of the youth leader.
“We hold this arrest as an absurdity. It is unprovoked and questionable and has been without any reason from the government of Republic of Benin.
“We consider this as a kidnap of our leader by the President of Republic of Benin working with certain opposition figures in Nigeria.
“We hereby make demand on President Boni Yayi of the Republic of Benin to release, unconditionally and with immediate effect, our leader Alhaji Asari-Dokubo and offer unreserved apology to him for this monumental breach of his rights.
“We call on all the aggrieved youths of Niger Delta to be on red alert and ready for a total showdown and shut down if in the next 48 hours his release has not been made.
“We call on the President of the Nigerian union to mediate on this potential diplomatic row that may lead to an unprecedented conflagration,” the group said.