Dutch Nigerian Activist Sunny Ofehe -RNW photo
Sunny Ofehe, a Dutch-Nigerian activist, has been charged with plotting to blow up oil pipelines operated by Shell in Nigeria. In an exclusive interview with Radio Netherlands Worldwide, Ofehe and his lawyers spoke about the latest of several charges against him.
Ofehe, 39, stands accused of conspiring to blow up several pipelines operated by Shell in the Niger Delta. He and his lawyers say this latest charge comes as a complete surprise. They claim the evidence is questionable given that it is based on three tapped telephone conversations.
Early this year Ofehe was arrested in the Netherlands and detained for two weeks on suspicion of people smuggling and forgery. He was charged formally three weeks ago and subpoenaed to appear in court on 5 September.www.naijapaymentonline.com
On this occasion one charge of people smuggling was dropped. Previous charges remain, which include smuggling a Nigerian citizen into the Netherlands and two charges relating to the falsification of documents to obtain housing and a bank loan.Awareness-raising
Ofehe is the founder of the Hope for the Niger Delta Campaign that aims to raise awareness of the extensive environmental pollution in Nigeria’s oil-rich region caused by oil companies. At the end of last year he accompanied a Dutch member of parliament on a fact-finding mission to the Niger Delta, ahead of a parliamentary hearing into the Anglo-Dutch oil giant’s operations in the region, at which he gave testimony.
Central to his awareness-raising is the filming of oil spills, as well as documenting acts of sabotage to pipelines with the intent of siphoning off oil to sell illegally - a practice known as oil bunkering.
His trial is likely to revolve around the issue of whether he incited others to commit criminal acts in order to document them.
Seeing is believing
Ofehe said that during the tapped phone conversations that formed the basis for the new terrorism charges, he was making arrangements with a friend in Nigeria to film a documentary in the Niger Delta for a prominent Dutch media organisation, which he did not wish to identify.
“I’m not a professional journalist, I’m an amateur journalist, and I believe that seeing is believing. There is no way my campaign can be effective without showing the people what is happening there.”
He told Radio Netherlands Worldwide he wanted to prove to the whole world that Shell staff, members of the JTF (a Nigerian army unit created to fight militants) and local community chiefs are all involved in oil bunkering. Ofehe categorically denies having had any criminal intent.
Telephone tapping Ofehe’s lawyer, Ed Manders of the law firm Manders Advocaten that specializes in people trafficking cases, says he does not understand “why Dutch police are concerned about oil pipelines in Nigeria”.
Telephone tapping Ofehe’s lawyer, Ed Manders of the law firm Manders Advocaten that specializes in people trafficking cases, says he does not understand “why Dutch police are concerned about oil pipelines in Nigeria”.
Wim de Bruijn, a spokesman for the public prosecutor’s office explains that a person can be charged in the Netherlands for acts committed abroad if the conspiracy took place in the Netherlands.
Political conspiracy On the eve of the trial, Ofehe’s lawyers are cautious. They say they have the “feeling”- but no evidence- that the Dutch authorities are out to get him. This in their view would help explain why he was under police investigation for 18 months during which his telephone conversations were regularly tapped. Over 25 police officers were mobilised for the investigation, resulting in a 7,000-page dossier. The defence lawyers have asked to be given access to another set of yet unknown files. “There’s something funny going on, that’s all I can say for now,” suggests Manders.
Political conspiracy On the eve of the trial, Ofehe’s lawyers are cautious. They say they have the “feeling”- but no evidence- that the Dutch authorities are out to get him. This in their view would help explain why he was under police investigation for 18 months during which his telephone conversations were regularly tapped. Over 25 police officers were mobilised for the investigation, resulting in a 7,000-page dossier. The defence lawyers have asked to be given access to another set of yet unknown files. “There’s something funny going on, that’s all I can say for now,” suggests Manders.
There is no doubt in the mind of the accused that he is the victim of a political conspiracy by “higher powers” he does not wish to identify at this stage. Ofehe says these forces are “determined to crush" his criticism of multinational oil companies and the misappropriation of oil revenues generated from the Niger Delta by the Nigerian government.
The trial starts in the Rotterdam High Court on 5 September. www.naijapaymentonline.com
The trial starts in the Rotterdam High Court on 5 September. www.naijapaymentonline.com
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