Non-Appearance of Officials Hinders Justice for Nigerian Jailed Professors in Cameroon
Non-Appearance of Officials Hinders Justice for Nigerian Jailed Professors in Cameroon
By Alabidun Shuaib AbdulRahman
Lawyers representing Nigerian jailed professors, refugees, and activists have expressed their frustration over the repeated non-appearance of key representatives from both Nigeria and Cameroon in a matter pending before Nigeria’s House of Representatives’ Committee on Public Petitions.
The absence of officials from the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), the Cameroonian High Commissioner, the UNHCR Coordinator, the Attorney-General of the Federation, and representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has significantly stalled the fate of Nigerian professors jailed in Cameroon.
At the proceeding held Tuesday at the National Assembly, lawyers representing detained activists voiced their concerns about the repeated non-appearance of key representatives from both Nigeria and Cameroon.
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Hon Abdul Oroh, a lawyer and former member of the House of Representatives, reiterated the call on President Tinubu-led federal government to employ diplomatic and political measures to ensure the release of detainees.
Oroh maintained that the detainees, who include university professors and other professionals, were apprehended while in the custody of the DIA and subsequently transferred to Cameroon.
Barrister Joseph Awah Fru, a lawyer at FRULAW Chambers said their clients have been languishing in Cameroonian prisons for over five years, insisting they are law-abiding citizens, not criminals.
Despite legal rulings condemning their abduction and deportation as arbitrary and illegal, these individuals remain in appalling conditions.
The lawyers stressed the importance of these officials’ presence to provide their side of the story, highlighting the need for transparency.
In response to the delays, the Committee Chairman promised to seek further legal implications by contacting the Solicitor General.
The Federal High Court of Abuja, in its judgment No FHC/ABJ/CS/85/2018 dated March 1, 2019, called for the release and compensation of the detainees.
This decision was echoed by the UN Human Rights Committee’s Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) in its Communication 59/2022 on October 14, 2022. Despite these rulings, the detainees remain imprisoned.
Earlier, the petitioners urged Nigeria to initiate legal proceedings before international forums, including the International Court of Justice (ICJ), to hold Cameroon accountable for what they term as fraudulent misrepresentation during the Bakassi Peninsula case.
They also called for Nigeria to use its regional influence to mediate and resolve the Southern Cameroons conflict, aiming to restore peace and stability to the Gulf of Guinea region.
The names of the detainees are Julius AyukTabe, an Information Technology expert and Vice President of the American University of Nigeria; Augustine ChehAwasum, a Professor of Veterinary Surgery and Diagnostic Imaging at Ahmadu Bello University; Blaise BerinyuySevidzem, a Barrister-at-Law, human rights advocate, solicitor, and notary public; Cornelius NjikimbiKwanga, a PhD holder in Economics and Senior Lecturer at Umaru Musa Yar’adua University and Egbe OgorkNtui, a PhD holder in Engineering and Associate Professor of Structural Engineering at Bayero University.
Others are Elias EbaiEyambe, a Barrister-at-Law, advocate, solicitor, and notary public; Fidelis Ndeh-Che, a PhD holder in Engineering and Senior Lecturer in Engineering at American University of Nigeria; Henry Tata Kimeng, a PhD holder in Engineering and Architecture and Associate Professor of Engineering and Architecture at Ahmadu Bello University; Nfor Ngala Nfor, a Political scientist and author and Wilfred FombangTassang, a Secondary School teacher and trade union leader.
The seating is again adjourned to next week.