Nigeria: 1. Information on the veracity and frequency of police shootings of civilians at internal check points. Information regarding police corruption and police involvement in organized crime. 2. Information on the state of controls placed on the Nigerian media. 3. Information on status of the N.A.N.S regarding the ban that was placed on it, along with individual student unions. 4. Information on the treatment of political prisoners regarding torture, with a description of torture methods. 5. Information on the detention status of student demonstrators following a May 1986 incident, as well as the nature of the arrest; political or criminal. 6. Information on the current human rights condition in Nigeria

1. Information regarding police shootings of civilians at internal check points in presently not available to the IRBDC.

 According to the African Contemporary Record, allegations of official corruption are widespread. In one such instance, a Lt.-Colonel was caught attempting to smuggle 4 million Naira worth of contraband goods into Murtala Muhamed International Airport in Lagos. [C. Legum, ed., African Contemporary Record 1986-1987, Annual Survey and Documents, (New York: Africana Publishing Company, 1987), p.B117.] Corroborating information is found in Africa South of the Sahara 1989, which reports that in 1986, public officials convicted of corruption, faced sanctions which included the withdrawal of passports for a period of five years and the confiscation of assets. [ Africa South of the Sahara 1989, Eighteenth Edition, (London: Europa Publications Ltd. 1989), p.788.] The arrest of the feared criminal Lawrence "The Law" Anini in 1986, confirmed that criminals often work in league with Senior police officers. Of the ten police officers Anini implicated, five were convicted. [African Contemporary Record, p. B117.] Special Military Tribunals have been set up to try persons suspected of corrupt practices, such as currency violations, theft and forgery. [ibid.]

Although the modified 1979 Constitution provides for freedom of expression and the press, the government continues to influence publications through various techniques. [Africa South of the Sahara, p. 788.] Since the former government of Maj.-General Mohammadu Buhari, stern warnings have been issued to the press, regarding the contravention of Decree No. 4, which severely limits the political content in the press. To that end, in mid-1985, several journalists were detained and quantities of newsprint confiscated. [Africa South of the Sahara 1989, p.788.] In August 1985 a coup placed General Ibrahim Babangida at the head of the government and shortly after, several journalists were released, thus rendering Decree No. 4 unconstitutional. It was two years later that Newswatch, a popular weekly magazine, whose editor-in-chief was killed by a letter bomb, published excerpts from a confidential report of the political bureau of the Armed Forces Ruling Council (AFRC). In response, the government banned Newswatch for six months and arrested three of its executives on charges of violating the Official Secrets Act. [Africa South of the Sahara 1989 (London: Europa Publishing Company, 1989), p.789.]

 AFRC tries to limit public political expression by cautioning journalists, privately and publicly. Consequently, self censorship is a common practice. [ibid.] The intolerance of the government regarding criticism of its policies and its officials is evidenced in the following case. Six journalists, of The Republic, were detained over a 15 June report, alleging the involvement of a top government official in a $3.5m scandal, but have since been released. ["Protests Against Wave of Arrests", West Africa, 26 June 1989.] NUJ, the Nigerian Union of Journalists, issued a statement demanding the removal of security forces from the premises of The Republic, the revocation of the ban imposed on the newspaper's State House correspondent. The statement also condemned the alleged arrest of the wife of the newspaper's editor. [West Africa, 3-9 July 1989.] Amnesty International reports that in February 1989, Femi Aborisade, editor of the socialist newspaper, Labour Militant, was detained without charge. Under the State Security Decree No. 2, the Chief of Staff, the Inspector-General of Police or the Minister of Internal Affairs can order the detention of any person, considered a threat to the economy or security of the State, indefinitely and without charge, leaving the courts powerless to question detention under this decree. [Amnesty International, Urgent Action, 7 April 1989.]

3. An article in West Africa 21-27 August 1989, states that the president of the National Association of Nigerian Students, Lukman Salilu Mohamed of Ahmadu Bello University, is reportedly being detained in Lagos, by the State Security Service. There was no reference to the banning of NANS, in the paper, however, NANS is still issuing statements that are being published. [ibid.] Information on the status of individual student unions is presently not available to the IRBDC.

4. A section of the 1979 Constitution still in effect outlaws torture and mistreatment of prisoners. However, public allegations of police brutality frequently surface, primarily in connection with the treatment of suspected armed robbers. [Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1988 (Washington: U.S. Department of State, 1988), p.259.]

5. Amnesty International's Report of 1987, does not indicate the arrest of any students following the May 1986 demonstrations at Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria. However, it reports that leaders of the Nigerian Labour Congress, who protested against the shootings of the students by security forces, were arrested and released uncharged eight days later. [Amnesty International Report 1987 (London: Amnesty International, 1987), p.86.]

6. Please refer to the attachments regarding the current human rights condition in Nigeria.

Attachments

Africa South of the Sahara 1989, (London: Europa Publications Ltd., 1989), pp.788-790.

Country Reports on Human Rights for 1988, (Washington: U.S. Department of State, 1988), pp.258-271.

Nwagboso Maxwell, "A Season of Discontent", West Africa (London: Miramoor Publishing Company, 17-23 July 1989.

"Democracy on Trial", West Africa, 27 March-2 April.

"The War Within", West Africa, 13-19 February 1989.

"Reforms need Reforming", West Africa, 13-19 February.

" What The Decree Says", West Africa, 27 March-2 April.

"Smuggler's Paradise", West Africa, 27 March-2 April.

"Clampdown on Riots", 12-18 June 1989.

Various excerpts from the Dateline section of West Africa.