Dutch police arrest, detain Niger Delta activist

*Family raised alarm over illegal arrest of Ofehe


The family of Netherlands-based Niger Delta activist, Comrade Sunny Ofehe has raised the alarm over what they called illegal arrest and detention of the activist by Dutch police.

Ofehe, who is the President/Founder of the Hope for Niger Delta Campaign (HNDC), a group which have been in the forefront of the campaign against environmental pollution, gas flaring and others anti-environment activities by oil companies in the Niger Delta was reportedly seized from his home in Charlois, Rotterdam by the Dutch police after a raid that lasted about five hours.

He has since being in the custody of the Dutch police for reason yet to been disclosed.

Ofehe’s wife, Dorothy told our correspondent on phone yesterday that the Dutch police have denied her access to her husband a week after he was seized for undisclosed reasons.

She said that even his lawyer, a Dutch lady has not been able to disclose the reason to which the activist was arrested and detained.

Dorothy said: “on that fateful Tuesday morning a detachment of policemen stormed our home in Charlois, Rotterdam. They took my husband away before ransacking the house for about five hours in the presence of our children. Till now, the children are still traumatized by the Gestapo-style invasion of the Dutch police, who refused to produce even a warrant for his arrest.”

Continuing, she said: “Since then I have not been allowed to see him or know where he is being detained. I’m worried that this could be happening in a European country, which claims to uphold the rule of law. At the moment, we are not sure of his condition.”

Also corroborating this, Goodie Ofehe, said the family was planning to lodge a formal protest with the Dutch embassy in Abuja.

He said: “We are already afraid that he might have been harmed. Our brother does not live in Holland illegally. He is also a Dutch citizen and has been living there for the past 16 years. So why is he being treated that way?

Goodies said: “We learnt that they held him because they have not concluded investigation into a matter they refused to disclose. But why detain somebody for more than 24 hours because you are investigating a matter? Is he a criminal? They should disclose his offence and charge him to court,”

He said that the Niger Delta activist had planned to travel to Nigeria, this week for the funeral rites of his late mother scheduled for this weekend in Benin City, the Edo Statecapital, when he was arrested two days before his departure.

A statement later signed by Dorothy and Goddies Ofehe claims that the arrest and detention of the activist may not be unconnected to his campaign against environmental and social injustice melted on the Niger Delta by a multinational oil firm.

“The family believes the activist’s current travail is being masterminded by a multinational oil corporation in the Niger Delta, which has very strong influence in The Netherlands government and is becoming increasingly uncomfortable over Comrade Ofehe’s campaign in Europe against environmental and social injustice in the region,” the statement said.

“Mr Ofehe’s family wishes to alert the world to his unlawful detention for more than 48 hours after his arrest and the refusal of the Dutch police to charge him to court so that he can know his offence.”

It could be recalled that Ofehe had late last year accompanied a Dutch parliamentarian, Sharon Gesthuizen on a fact finding mission to the country to herald the parliamentary hearings by Dutch parliament to which Royal Dutch Shell PLC, commonly known as Shell was quizzed for the first time over its operations in the Niger Delta. ##