Centre for Democracy & Development

Press Release, 6 Dec 2002

For more information: Otive Igbuzor, Programme Co-ordinator, CDD
Tel: 234 8033039797; e-mail [email protected]

CDD CHAIRPERSON ARRESTED AND INTERNATIONAL PASSPORT SEIZED BY
NIGERIA'S STATE SECURITY SERVICE

The Chairperson of the International Governing Council of the
Centre for Democracy & Development (CDD), Dr. Tajudeen Abdul
Raheem was arrested at the Murtala Mohammed Airport on his way to
London on Tuesday 3rd December 2002. CDD is an independent
research, information and training institution dedicated to
policy-oriented scholarship on questions of democratic
development and peace building in the West African sub-region.
Dr. Abdul Raheem, a Nigerian was in Nigeria to attend the 5th
Anniversary Celebrations and Endowment Fund Launch of the CDD.

Although he was released on Wednesday 4th December 2002, his
international passport was seized. According to the State
Security Service (SSS) officials, he was arrested and his
passport seized because his name is on their security watch list.
Up till today (Friday), Dr. Abdul Raheem has not been able to
travel out of the country. The State Security Service has asked
him to be reporting to their office.

It would be recalled that Dr. Abdul Raheem was arrested in the
same airport in November 1993 on account of his involvement in
the pro-democracy movement in exile. However, in the last two
weeks, he has passed through the same airport six times on trips
from Uganda, Ethiopia and the United Kingdom. We are therefore at
a loss as to the reasons for this latest arrest and seizure of
passport.

Apart from being the Chair of CDD, Dr. Abdul Raheem is the
Secretary General of Pan African Movement based in Uganda. He is
a well known Pan-African Human Rights Activist, international
Scholar and syndicated columnist for several Newspapers in Africa
including Weekly Trust in Nigeria. This arrest and passport
seizure no doubt cast serious doubts on the human rights record
of this government and clearly shows that the military hangover
is still very much with us.

We therefore demand that the State Security Service Should
release his passport without further delay.

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