5 more people arrested, charged in Nigerian bombings

From Christian Purefoy, CNN

October 19, 2010 -- Updated 1552 GMT (2352 HKT)

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Five more people have been arrested in connection to the bombings in Nigeria
• The October 1 attacks in Abuja killed 12 people and injured 50 others
• Charles Okah, the brother of a suspected rebel leader, is among those detained

Lagos, Nigeria (CNN) -- Five more people will face criminal charges this week in Nigeria, suspected of being linked to deadly car bombings earlier this month in the oil-rich nation's capital, a spokeswoman for Nigeria's secret service told CNN Tuesday.

One of the men arrested was Charles Okah, who is believed to have handled the financing for the bombings, secret service spokeswoman Marilyn Ogar said. Charles Okah's brother, Henry Okah, is the suspected head of the rebel group Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND). Henry Okah was arrested a few days after the blasts and detained in a Johannesburg, South Africa, prison after being charged under terrorism legislation, his lawyer Rudi Krause told CNN earlier this month.

The attacks, which occurred on October 1 as Nigeria celebrated 50 years of independence, killed 12 and injured another 50 people. Nine people were arrested and questioned in the days immediately after the blasts, the Nigerian Intelligence Service said.

MEND claimed responsibility for the bombings, saying it had given Nigeria's government advance warning and blaming it for the deaths. It said that Henry Okah had been harassed by authorities in South Africa, where he lives, but denied his involvement in the blasts.

The group, which represents militants in the oil-rich Niger Delta, is an umbrella organization of several rebel groups. It has been battling the Nigerian government for years, calling for a fairer distribution of the country's oil wealth.

On Tuesday, a statement obtained by CNN and attributed to MEND said, "The arrest and detention of our respected brothers ... and the assassination of their character has become a great concern that cannot be ignored."

"We hereby repeat our warnings to the residents of Abuja, the heart of the country and to all persons who will be interested in (supporting) President Goodluck Jonathan," the statement said. "This is due to the split he has initiated... and the corruption and split in the Niger Delta community."

Jonathan called the bombings a terrorist attack designed to "disrupt" the nation's 50th anniversary commemoration, a presidential spokesman said. He appointed Andrew Azazi, his former defense chief, to be the country's national security adviser in the wake of the bombings.