MEND's Charles Okah Fakes Escape From Custody

Officials of Kuje Prisons were, on Thursday night, thrown panic for over one hour after it was discovered that Mr. Charles Okah, a leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND), could not be found in his cell by warders on the night shift at about 8 pm. The situation led to a frantic search. 

While prison officials were searching in panic, Okah was lying under his bed and had propped a dummy on his bed. The MEND leader was said to have taken the action because of prison officials' refusal to take him to the National Hospital, Abuja, where he was scheduled to run a battery of medical tests.


Prison sources told SaharaReporters that the Comptroller of Prisons, Federal Capital Territory Command, Mr. Sylvester Nwakuche, received a text message from the Directorate State Security (DSS) informing him that a man that looks like Mr. Okah was sighted boarding a vehicle at Gwagwalada area of the Federal Capital City. They also found a note from Mr.Okah, which he addressed to the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Prisons Service.


Mr. Okah later emerged from under the bed to chide them for responding promptly to news of an escape but were reluctant to take him to hospital. Before Friday night's drama, Mr. Okah, who has previously stated that he donated a kidney to his mother 35 years ago, had complained that the Kuje Prison authorities were treating complaints about his health with levity.


Mr. Okah, who is detained for allegedly masterminding the 1 October 2010 bombing in Abuja, has just one more adjourned date of January 24, 2018, for Adoption of written address before a date for judgement is set for his trial which has lasted years while he remained in detention.

*Billy Bones why nau?