URGENT APPEAL - THE OBSERVATORY

NGA 001/1202/OBS 070
Harassment/Seizure of passports
Nigeria
10th December 2002

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint
programme of FIDH and OMCT, requests your URGENT intervention in the
following situation in Nigeria.

Brief description of the situation :

The Observatory has received with deep concern information related to
acts of harassment carried out by members of the State Security
Services against human rights defenders in Nigeria.

On December 3, 2002, Mr. Tajudeen Abduraman, a member of Centre for
Democracy and Development (CDD) was arrested at the Murtala Muhammed
Airport (Lagos) on his way out of the country to London. His travel
passport was confiscated and he was reportedly ill-treated and
manhandled. He was later released, but his passport has not been yet
returned to him.

On December 6, 2002, Ms. Iheoma Obibi, the Executive Director of
Alliances for Africa, a regional human rights and development
organisation, was arrested by State Security Services at the Murtala
Muhammed Airport on his way out of the country to London. Although
she was released that day, her passport has not been yet returned to
her.

On December 6, 2002, officials of State Security Services raided the
offices of Women Aids Collective, a women rights NGO in Enugu,
seeking to arrest the Executive Director to the organisation, Mrs.
Joy Ezeilo, who was absent when this facts occurred. They left with a
message that they will come back to get her in the near future.

The Observatory recalls that 200 copies of a report published by OMCT
and Nigerian NGO the Centre for Law Enforcement Education (CLEEN),
entitled "Hope betrayed? A report on Impunity and State-Sponsored
Violence in Nigeria," based on the input of some 60 local NGOs, have
been seized on October 14, 2002 by the customs office in Lagos.
Furthermore, a researcher, Idris Bawa of the National Human Rights
Commission and two persons who collaborated in drafting the report,
Ms. Isioma Ojugbana and Ms. Ijeoma Nwachukwu, both members of the
Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) in Lagos have been subjected to
harassment by Security Services agents.

This wave of arrests against human rights defenders has been
denounced by various Nigerian Human Rights Groups among those Legal
Resources Consortium (LRC), Centre for Law Enforcement Education
(CLEEN), Project Alert, Media Rights Agenda (MRA) and Legal Defence
And Assistance Project (LEDAP). All have expressed their
preoccupation concerning the recurrent use of threats and
intimidation against members of the civil society.

The Observatory expresses its support to the Nigerian Human Rights
associations and condemns this climate of hostility against human
rights defenders aimed at dissuading them to carry out their human
rights activities and their fight against impunity.

Actions requested:

i. Put an end to all forms of harassment and threats all human rights
defenders and their organisations in Nigeria;

ii. Return their passports to Mr. Tajudeen Abduraman and Ms. Iheoma
Obibi;

iii. Conform with the provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights
Defenders adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 9, 1998, in
particular its article 1 which provides that "every person has the
right, individually or collectively, to promote the protection and
fulfilment of human rights and fundamental liberties at the national
and international level and article 12(2) which states that " The
State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by
the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in
association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation,
de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other
arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise
of the rights referred to in the present declaration. ";

iv. More generally abide by the Universal declaration on Human Rights
and Covenants and international Conventions ratified by Nigeria.

Adresses:

- His Exellency Olusegun Obasanjo, President of the Republic, The
Presidency, Federal Secretariat, Phase II, Shehu Shagari Way,Abuja;
Fax: 234 9 523 21 36 (press office), Email:
[email protected]

- Alhaji Sule Lamido, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maputo Street ,
Zone 3 Wuse District, Abuja, Nigeria ; Fax: 234 9 523 02 08.

- Kanu Godwin Agabi, Minister of Justice, Ministry of Justice, New
Federal Secretariat complex Shehu Shagari Way, Abuja, Federal Capital
Territory, Nigeria; Fax: 234 9 523 52 08 / 234 9 5230660.

- Alhaji Uman Musa Yar'adua, Governor, Office of the Military
Administrator, Katsina, Katsina State, Nigeria.

**************
Geneva - Paris, 10th December 2002

Kindly inform the Observatory of any action undertaken, quoting the
code number of this appeal in your reply.

The Observatory, a joint FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the
protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims to offer them concrete
support in their time of need.

To contact the Observatory, call the Emergency Line: Fax : 33 (0) 1
55 80 83 92
Tel. : FIDH 33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 OMCT : + 41 22 809 49 39
E-mail [email protected]