Nigeria: Information on whether any members of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) were arrested, prosecuted, imprisoned or released following the April 1991 Bauchi riots
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 May 1994 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | NGA17343.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Nigeria: Information on whether any members of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) were arrested, prosecuted, imprisoned or released following the April 1991 Bauchi riots, 1 May 1994, NGA17343.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ab20c.html [accessed 30 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
The following information was provided by a professor of history and religion at York University in Toronto, who is familiar with the political and religious situation in Nigeria (27 May 1994). Several people were arrested, imprisoned and released for participating in the 1991 Bauchi riots. Some of the participants were Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) members. CAN was very critical of these arrests and blamed the government for creating a climate making religious riots possible in Nigeria. CAN's criticism was based on the widely held belief that the federal government has always taken a very light approach to Muslim excesses in the country.
According to a professor of political science at the University of Texas at Austin, some CAN members, particularly local leaders were arrested and imprisoned for their involvement in the April 1991 Bauchi riots (26 May 1994). The professor noted that most of the people arrested and detained during these riots were released a few days later, although some were later tried and sentenced to prison terms. Arrests, imprisonments and jail sentences were not carried out on the basis of religious affiliation, but because the participants were involved in a riot (ibid.).
The Chicago Tribune, Inter Press Service and Reuters have commented on the position of the CAN on the 1991 Bauchi riots. For details, please refer to the attachments.
This response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
References
Professor of history and religion, York University, Toronto. 27 May 1994. Telephone interview.
Professor of political science, University of Texas, Austin. 26 May 1994. Telephone interview.
Attachments
Chicago Tribune. 25 April 1991. Chicagoland North Edition. "84 Reported Slain in Nigerian Religious Strife." (NEXIS)
Inter Press Service (IPS). 25 April 1991. "Nigeria: Continuing Protests in North." (NEXIS)
Reuters. 30 April 1991. BC Cycle. "Nigerian Bishop Urges Restraint After Religious Riots." (NEXIS).
