NIGERIA

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

Resolution adopted without a vote by the Inter-Parliamentary Council at its 161st session
(Cairo, 16 September 1997)

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/161/10(a)-R.1), and to the resolution adopted at its 160th session (April 1997) concerning the case of the above-named Senators of Nigeria,

Taking account of the information provided by one of the sources on 6 September 1997,

Recalling that Senators Ebute, Okorafor, Nwulu, Nwite, Ibrahim and Tinubu were arrested on 2 June 1994 and charged with treasonable felony and conspiring with others to overthrow the Government because they had met on 30 May 1994 and urged General Sani Abacha to step down as Head of State; that, on 22 July 1994, they were released on bail and that in December 1995 their cases were closed with the exception of that of Senator Tinubu, who was subsequently also charged with sabotaging oil installations and went into exile for fear of his life; that the others have reportedly been warned against criticising the Government,

Also recalling that, according to information provided by one of the sources in January 1997, those who remained in Nigeria are under strict surveillance and remain silent for fear of their lives,

Further recalling that Mr. Olawale Oshun, a member of the dissolved House of Representatives, was arrested on 19 May 1995 and detained incommunicado on no charge; that he was released in December 1995 and went underground in April 1996 after two raids on his office and his home, and that he has subsequently gone into exile,

Finally recalling that, according to various sources, Senators Ebute and Polycap Nwite are now co-operating with the regime; that they have become officials of political parties and are participating in the process of transition to civilian rule established by the regime,

Considering that the competent Nigerian authorities, including the National Commission on Human Rights, have never deemed it necessary to respond to the requests for information made of them on behalf of the Committee and the Council,

1. Can but deplore the total lack of co-operation from the Nigerian authorities, including the National Commission on Human Rights;

2. 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, in particular the right to security and liberty of the person, the right to freedom of expression and association, the right to return to one's country in safety, the right to justice and the right of anyone having suffered unlawful arrest or detention to mandatory compensation;

3. Calls once again on the Nigerian authorities to comply with their obligations under international human rights standards and to restore the right to freedom of expression and association and the rule of law, without which there can be no genuine transition to civilian rule, which the military rulers of the country have pledged to restore;

4. Requests the Secretary General to contact the competent authorities again and invite them to supply the information regarding the situation of the Senators concerned, with special reference to the judicial proceedings pending against Senator Tinubu and the investigations carried out into the attacks on Mr. Olawale Oshun;

5. Also requests the Secretary General to bring its concerns to the notice of any international organisation or body which may be able to provide the information sought and take appropriate action;

6. Requests the Committee to pursue the examination of the cases of Mr. Okorafor, Mr. Nwulu, Mr. Ibrahim, Mr. Tinubu and Mr. Olawale Oshun, and to report to it at its next session (April 1998); also requests the Committee not to pursue the examination of the case of Mr. Ebute and Mr. Polycap Nwite as they are now co-operating with the regime and no longer face any difficulty.

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