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Leader of the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force (NDPVF), Alhaji Mujahedeen Asari-Dokubo, knew he could be detained as he handed himself over to Nigeria’s secret police this morning.

He told newsmen before entering the premises of the State Security Service (SSS) headquarters in Abuja: “I’m here to honour SSS invitation. I don’t know if it is an arrest. I’m not afraid of arrest, and have never been. Arrest is part of the dividend of the struggle. I have been arrested 73 times. Today’s arrest will be making it the 74th time. I’m going into SSS headquarters with my prayer mat, my Koran, tisbih, toilet bag, which contains my toothpaste, toothbrush. I’m also here with my drugs. I am fully prepared. If the SSS decides to arrest me, I’m ready to stay.”

Dokubo, who is presently being quizzed by the SSS, was invited a day after the country’s leading opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Tuesday described as reckless, irresponsible and totally condemnable his alleged threat to wage war against Nigeria even if President Goodluck Jonathan is defeated even in a free and fair election next year.

APC had challenged the SSS to immediately arrest the former militant leader just as it recently did to the party deputy national secretary, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, over similar utterances.

According to APC, “There is no better test of the fairness, non-partisanship and professionalism of the SSS than this Asari-Dokubo’s threat to levy war on his own country. If Asari-Dokubo is not above the laws of the land, he must be hauled before the SSS, just like the service did to our Deputy National Secretary, to explain his statement.”

It is not yet known if Dokubo will be released overnight as happened in the case of el-Rufai.

•Photo, sourced from Facebook, shows Dokubo walking toward the gate of the SSS Headquarters in Abuja this morning.

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