BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI
ABUJA— Trial of alleged masterminds of the October 1, 2010, bomb blasts that killed 12 persons while Nigeria celebrated its 50th Independence anniversary resumed yesterday, with the erstwhile chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Chief Timi Alaibe, testifying as a prosecution witness

The Federal Government abrought Alaibe to testify before the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, following allegation that he had prior knowledge that the former leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, Mr Henry Okah, planned to detonate bombs at the Eagle Square in Abuja.

It would be recalled that earlier in the course of the trial, an ex-militant whose identity was masked by the State Security Services, SSS, while under cross examination, told the court that Alaibe was among those he said were promptly notified about Okah’s plans to bomb Abuja.

The witness who was simply identified as “Mr X”, accused the former Governor of Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva, former Secretary to the Brass Local Government Area and member of the Presidential Committee on Amnesty, Mr Victor Ben, as well as a repentant ex-militant, Ebikabowei a.k.a Boyloaf, of complicity, insisting that they failed to act on prior information regarding the planned bombing.

The witness had informed the trial court that he got wind of the planned attacks from his friend, one Emmanuel Allison, a man that was earlier declared wanted by the SSS, saying he was the person that informed one of the accused persons standing trial over the incident, Mr. Edmund Ebiware.

Though Ebiware was initially facing trial alongside the younger brother to the ex-MEND leader, Charles Okah and the 3rd accused person, Obi Nwabueze, however, sequel to his request, presiding Justice Gabriel Kolawole okayed separate trial for him.

Ebiware was specifically alleged to have exchanged incriminating text messages with the erstwhile Director-General of the Ibrahim Babamasi Babangida, IBB, Campaign Organization and Chairman of Daar Communications, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, prior to the twin bomb explosion.

Meanwhile, at the resumed hearing on the matter yesterday, Alaibe, who was a former special adviser to the President on amnesty, denied receiving prior information about the October 1st bomb blasts allegedly perpetrated by Okah.

Alaibe told the court that the only time he had direct contact with the accused person, Ebiware, was when he helped the amnesty office in the disarmament process of some ex-militant in ogbotebe community of Delta state.

The ex-NDDC boss, who mounted the dock, said he had equally had course in the past to caution the accused person to desist from campaigning for politics of geo-political zoning, before the 2010 presidential election, noting that Ebiware was one of the boys that usually frequent his office while he was in charge of the amnesty initiative.

“Ewibare and others normally comes to my office, I have had cause to caution him about his political position, I once saw him on the television discussing zoning and I warned him that it was a bitter politics, and the politics is bigger than him,” Allaibe added.

Meantime, shortly after Alaibe finished his testimony yesterday, the accused person, Ebiware, mounted the witness box, and told the court that he was in contact with Alaibe on many occasions.

Ebiware told the court that one of such instance was when he said Henry Okah threatened to kill him for allegedly spying on him with a view to relating the information to the Federal Government.

The accused however insisted that had never met Okah in person, though he admitted that they frequently conversed on phone.

He told the court that his present ordeal was owing to the fact that he campaigned for the former military President Ibrahim Babangida before the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) held its Presidential Primaries.

He said he was not spared from “persecution” despite dumping IBB on September 18, 2010, a day he said President Jonathan declared his intention to run for the presidency.

Besides, while being cross examined by the prosecuting counsel, Dr Alex Iziyon, SAN, Ebiware, who denied having knowledge of the blasts, told the court that at a time, Minister of Petroleum, Allison Diezani Madueke begged to be linked with the ex-Mend leader, Okah.

He said the reason he agreed and furnished Diezani with Okah’s phone number was after he was told that the aim was to fashion ways of combating pipeline vandalization in the Niger Delta region.

“I spoke with Okah when the minister of petroleum asked that I should link her up with Okah over the pipeline vandalism issue. I don’t know how he got to know that I met with Mr. Seifa of the SSS, he said I was an informant to the government and that was why he threatened me.”

The case was adjourned till November 12 for adoption of written arguments after both the prosecution and defence closed their cases yesterday.

Charles, whose elder brother, Henry is equally facing a similar trial in South Africa, was apprehended by the SSS on allegation that he and the other accused persons, conspired with one Emmanuel Allison and made direct attempt at endangering the life of President Goodluck Jonathan by seeking to drive two motor vehicles wired with time-regulated explosive devices to the Eagle Square where the Independence celebration was taking place.

They were also said to have between January 2 and March 15, 2010, within Port-Harcourt Rivers State and diverse places, conspired with Henry Okah, Chima Orlu, (at large), and persons unknown and made direct attempt to endanger the lives of the Governor of Delta state, Edo state and Imo state by seeking to drive two motors vehicles wired with time regulated explosive devices into government house annex, Warri, Delta State, the venue of the Vanguard Post Amnesty Dialogue, where the said governors were in attendance, in order to cause a bomb blast for the purpose of levying war against the state.

The accused persons were initially arraigned before the High Court on December 7, 2010 and subsequently re-arraigned on January 12, 2011.