DOKUBO-ASARI: Al-Mustapha And I Are Planning A Tsunami

This interview had been conducted by Premium Times before President of the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force, Muhajid Asari-Dokubo was arrested in Benin Republic in late November, 2013. Here, he touches upon such subjects as Jonathan's chances at winning in 2015, oil stealing, Governor Amaechi's betrayal, among other things.

On "bloodshed" in Nigeria: If you look at the attacks that have been directed at Goodluck since it became apparent that he was going to become President since 2010, certain individuals, especially the Ciromas, Lawal Kaita, General Muhammadu Buhari, General Ibrahim Babangida, have also made several statements.

I quote: Lawal Kaita said, "It is the turn of the North to produce the president, that if Jonathan by default wins the nomination of the PDP, we will stop him at the general elections. If we fail to stop him at the general election, even if he wins he will not be able to rulel we will make the country ungovernable for him."

Nobody has a monopoly of violence. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. We cannot sit, fold our hands and watch. If we had done that, Goodluck Jonathan would have been killed long time ago.

He comes from a place that feeds the nation. Nigeria is only existing because of Ijaw, Ogoni, Itsekiri, Isoko, Ibo and Urhobo oil. Nigeria is only existing because of its access to the coast provided by the Ijaws, Itskeri and the Yorubas. Nigeria would have become a landlocked country. So we contribute to the survival of Nigeria. All these men have gained from the misnomer called Nigeria because Nigeria claims to be a Federal Republic but it's not, it's a very crude primitive state where we have an all-powerful centre.

[In] the last interview I granted, I said it on Channels television, there was no such thing. I said, and I repeat, and I have no apology to anybody, that those who said that the blood of the monkeys, baboons, dogs and if they want to soak them on the water we will help them to soak the blood of the baboons and the dogs on the street; if they want to soak them in water we will help them. That was my statement.

On presidential pardon and amnesty: I was president of Ijaw Youth Council, which is the biggest youth group up till date, and I'm also the leader of the Niger Delta Peoples' Volunteer Force and Niger Delta Peoples' Salvation Funds.

Did I tell you that I collected amnesty? I am not a criminal. I don't know what you are talking about. Asari isn't a criminal. I am not a militant and I have a pedigree and I cannot soil my name. If the Nigerian state has any evidence to criminalize me, they should go to court. They've done that several times and they failed without evidence. Yes, people who took amnesty have been criminalized, that’s what it means. You pardon someone who has committed an offence, not all of them were criminals. But if you accept pardon as a criminal, why will I speak for you? You have accepted willingly. I did not collect amnesty and the majority of my people did not. Only those who broke away from us did.

I was granted bail by a competent court of jurisdiction and I am still on bail. I employed my lawyers. We went to the Supreme Court for bail application and for the first time in my life, the court suspended the constitution of this country because of me. The court says people can be arrested and be detained as long as the government wants. It’s a shame on the judiciary of this country that the Supreme Court gave a judgment suspending the constitution. That's why some of us feel Goodluck is playing with these political miscreants who call themselves governors. If I was hit with the hammer by Obasanjo, what is holding Goodluck Jonathan? He should hit these political miscreants with a hammer. Obasanjo should be arrested and detained, and Atiku, too. They are ordinary citizens of this country. They are nobody. I don't know about Babangida [because] he has not come out to talk about where he belongs.

The government first refused to bring me to court. Yar'Adua was compelled to release me from prison because of the bribe, because of the oil, that they want production which had fallen into 600,000 barrels. Nigeria was losing money, so they wanted to release Asari but I refused to sign. So many things were offered me but I said no and I refused to sign. Henry Okah and others signed.

My mother died at the age of 29. I'm 50. My father died at the age 59. I'm 50. So, why should I be afraid of death? It will come when it will come. When God says you are going to die, you will die. So I cannot mortgage my integrity, my honour, my pedigree and that of my children.

On the amnesty programme of Jonathan's administration, and the fact that his friends are beneficiareis: I am one of the people who have been against amnesty. Amnesty is a crime against humanity. That someone raped, killed, committed all sorts of crime and after doing that, because you want money, mostly to steal, then you pardon the person. A man kidnapped another man, put him through trauma and you pardon him. A man raped and you pardon him. A man killed and you pardon him because you want money.

My friends and I are not the same. My child and I are not the same, even my wife. None of my siblings took amnesty and NDPVF didn't take amnesty. God has a way of preparing things since the time of creation.

On meeting with Major Hamza Al-Mustapha: You cannot divorce politics from whatever man is doing. Even between man and woman, politics is involved.

The meeting with Al-Mustapha is to bring peace. Faseun, Uwazuruike, Yerima Shettima, Abacha, Tony Major and over 50 different organisations were there. Government wants to be oblivious of what is going on. It is a tsunami. It is the first time that people from the Caliphate, Borno and people from other part of this country are meeting. People have come to say "look, whatever has happened before we should put it aside, have a focus and put an eye on the future." All of us have suffered from one form of deprivation or the other. All of us have been in prison – myself, Pa Faseun, Uwazuruike, Al-Mustapha, Mohammed. We have been imprisoned at one time or the other. We have all suffered one form of deprivation or the other. Our collective suffering should be a sacrifice to bring hope to our people.