Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders Annual Report 2002 - Nigeria
| Publisher | International Federation for Human Rights |
| Publication Date | 26 March 2003 |
| Cite as | International Federation for Human Rights, Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders Annual Report 2002 - Nigeria, 26 March 2003, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/48747c534e.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. |
Obstacles to freedom of circulation51
On 3rd December 2002, Mr. Tajudeen Abduraman, a member of the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), was stopped at Lagos airport when leaving for London. His passport was confiscated and he was allegedly ill-treated during questioning. He was then released, but his passport was not returned.
Then on 6th December, Ms Iheoma Obibi, Executive Director of the NGO Alliances for Africa, a regional human rights and development organisation, was arrested by the State security services at Lagos airport as she was leaving for London, and her passport too was confiscated. Although she was released the same day, her passport was not returned to her.
Attempted arrest52
On 6th December 2002, members of the State security services raided the premises of the Women's Aid Collective, an organisation for the defence of women's rights based in Enugu. They were looking for the Executive Director, Mrs Joy Ezeilo, to arrest her, but she was not there. They left a message that they would be back.
Reports confiscated, defenders harassed53
On 14th October 2002, the customs service in Lagos seized 2000 copies of a report published by the OMCT and the Centre for Law Enforcement Education, Nigeria (CLEEN) entitled Hope Betrayed? A Report on Impunity and State-Sponsored Violence in Nigeria. Mr. Idris Bawa, a researcher for the national Human Rights Commission, and two members of the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) who had worked on the report, Mrs. Isioma Ojugbana and Mrs. Ijeoma Nwachukwu, were harassed by members of the State security service.
[Refworld note: This report as posted on the FIDH website (www.fidh.org) was in pdf format with country chapters run together by region. Footnote numbers have been retained here, so do not necessarily begin at 1.]
51. See Urgent Appeal NGA 001/1202/OBS 070.
52. Idem.
53. Idem.
