Nigeria: Information on Kuje Prison in Abuja and whether it was used to detain women members of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) who were arrested in Benin City after the strike in July 1994
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 February 1995 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | NGA19849.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Nigeria: Information on Kuje Prison in Abuja and whether it was used to detain women members of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) who were arrested in Benin City after the strike in July 1994, 1 February 1995, NGA19849.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ab4644.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. |
A political science professor at the University of Texas in Austin stated in a telephone interview that the Kuje Prison in the federal capital of Abuja lately became popular with the government as a detention centre for pro-democracy activists (14 Feb. 1995). The professor, who is a specialist in Nigerian and African politics, said that the State Security Service (SSS) also runs several detention centres around this capital region. The professor said that, although Kuje prison has recently developed a reputation as a detention centre for pro-democracy activists, it has been a general purpose prison. Federal prison authorities do not keep high profile prisoners at Kuje prison for long periods (ibid.). Instead, the authorities tend to transfer political prisoners to other federal facilities around the country. This move enables the government to deny the prisoners' whereabouts and also prevent Kuje prison from becoming a permanent location for possible public demonstrations or protests.
The professor stated that one of the groups involved in the campaign to end military rule in Nigeria was Campaign for Democracy (CD), which is a pro-democracy coalition of human rights, women's, worker, and student groups. Pro-democracy activists, who were arrested for whatever reason across Nigeria, were sent to Kuje prison. Thus, the professor thought it was possible that some of the arrested activists were women. Although the professor indicated that the oil workers' strikes in southern Nigeria began in July 1994, he was unaware that Kuje prison was used to detain women Social Democratic Party (SDP) members, who were arrested after a strike in Benin City in July 1994 (ibid.). The University of Texas professor also added that Benin City was notorious for demonstrations by oil workers and pro-democracy groups in 1994. For additional details on Benin City as a centre for strikes and demonstrations, please refer to Response to Information Request NGA19848.E of 15 February 1995. This document is available at Regional Documentation Centres.
In a 15 February 1995 telephone interview, a journalist with the London-based African Concorde corroborated all the above information provided by the University of Texas professor.
For general information on the make-up of the pro-democracy movement in Nigeria following the annulment of the 1993 presidential election results, and the involvement of oil workers in the drive to recognize the victory of the SDP candidate in the 1993 presidential elections, please refer to pages two to 17 of the Human Rights Watch Africa report entitled Nigeria: "The Dawn of a New Dark Age" of October 1994. This document is available at Regional Documentation Centres. Also, please refer to the attachments for additional information on the pro-democracy activists who were at one point or another sent to Kuje prison.
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 political science specializing in Nigerian and African politics, University of Texas, Austin. 14 February 1995. Telephone interview.
Journalist with the African Concorde, London. 15 February 1995. Telephone interview.
Attachments
Agence France Presse (AFP). 9 August 1994. Jacques Pinto. "Unions to Meet Military Amid Strike Chaos." (NEXIS)
_____. 7 August 1994. "Whereabouts of Abiola Still Unknown." (NEXIS)
_____. 29 August 1993. "Nigerian Leader Orders Release of Pro-democracy Activists." (NEXIS)
_____. 16 June 1992. "Rights and Democracy Activists Put on Trial." (NEXIS)
BBC Summary of World Broadcasts. 9 August 1994. "Aide Says Abiola's Whereabouts Still Unknown; Catholic Church Urges Return to Democracy." (NEXIS)
_____. 18 June 1992. "Four Human Rights Activists Appear in Court." (NEXIS)
Inter Press Service (IPS). 22 July 1993. "Nigeria: Supreme Court Throws Out Election Petition." (NEXIS)
