NIGERIA

Case N° NIG/41 - AMEH EBUTE
Case N° NIG/42 - AMADI OKORAFOR
Case N° NIG/43 - REV. MAC NWULU
Case N° NIG/44 - POLYCAP NWITE
Case N° NIG/45 - ABU IBRAHIM
Case N° NIG/46 - BOLA AHMED TINUBU
Case N° NIG/47 - OLAWALE OSHUN

Resolution adopted without a vote by the Inter-Parliamentary Council at its 159th session
(Beijing, 21 September 1996)

The Inter-Parliamentary Council,

Referring to the outline of the case, as contained in the report of the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians (CL/159/11(a)-R.1), and to the resolution adopted at its 158th session (April 1996), concerning the case of the above-named Senators of Nigeria,

Taking into consideration the information supplied by one of the sources on 12 July 1996,

Recalling that Senators Ebute, Okorafor, Nwulu, Nwite, Ibrahim and Tinubu were prosecuted on charges of conspiracy and treasonable felony for having reconvened the dissolved Senate and declared General Abacha's regime unlawful; that the proceedings against all but Senator Tinubu were abandoned in November 1995,

Recalling that Senator Tinubu is also accused of sabotaging oil production facilities and that the charges against him have not been dropped; that he had to go into exile for fear of his life and that he is wanted publicly,

Considering that, according to one of the sources, his personal assistant who remained in Nigeria has to report to the police regularly, and that his son recently managed to escape arrest,

Recalling that Mr. Olawale Oshun, a member of the dissolved House of Representatives and Secretary of the National Democratic Coalition, was arrested on 19 May 1995 without charge and held incommunicado until December 1995, when he was released,

Considering that his office was reportedly raided on 8 and 9 April 1996 at the time of the visit to Nigeria of a United Nations fact-finding mission; that subsequently he went to a secret location near Lagos which was discovered and also raided, reportedly by members of the security forces; that he has since gone into hiding,

Bearing in mind that the Nigerian authorities contacted by the Committee and the Council have neither replied to the repeated requests for information nor provided the documents requested,

1. Deplores the total lack of co-operation from the Nigerian authorities not deigning to reply to the repeated requests for information addressed to them, and considers that such an attitude contravenes the very principles of international co-operation;

2. Fears that Senator Tinubu may be subjected to prosecution solely on account of his political stand against the present regime;

3. Reiterates its wish to ascertain:

(i) On what legal grounds the charges of treasonable felony, which were dropped regarding his former co-defendants, have not been dropped in his case;

(ii) The specific acts held against him regarding alleged sabotage of oil production facilities;

4. Reiterates its wish to obtain a copy of the relevant indictments, if any;

5. Expresses concern at the allegation that Mr. Olawale Oshun, after having been released, has been subjected yet again to severe harassment, reportedly at the hands of the security forces, which forced him to go into hiding;

6. Recalls that it is the duty of every State to protect the safety of its citizens, and strongly urges the authorities to protect Mr. Oshun's safety at all times and in all circumstances;

7. Reiterates its wish to ascertain the grounds for his previous arrest and detention;

8. Recalls that Nigeria, as a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, has a duty to respect and protect the rights guaranteed therein; and that these rights include the right of anyone who has been the victim of unlawful arrest or detention to mandatory compensation;

9. Calls once again on all National Groups and member Parliaments to press these concerns with the Nigerian authorities by every means open to them;

10. Requests the Secretary General to invite the Nigerian authorities once again to supply the desired information;

11. Further requests the Secretary General to contact the newly established Human Rights Commission and seek its views on these cases;

12. Requests the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians to pursue the examination of this case and report to it at its next session (April 1997).