Connect with us

News

Nigerian Professors Jailed In Cameroon Petition Reps, Plead With FG For Their Release

Published

on

By Gloria Ikibah
Some Professors  of Nigerian universities and other professionals working in Nigeria who were detained in Cameroon have tendered a petition before the House of Representatives to intervene on their behalf to ensure that justice is served them.
The petitioners numbering 10 and are registered refugees in Nigeria are also calling on the Federal Government under President Bola Tinubu to deploy other means to secure their release from detention by the Cameroonian authorities.
Their petition was presented to the House Committee on Public Petitions by a legal firm, FRULAW CHAMBERS: Barristers, Solicitors, Public Notaries of the Cameroon Bar Association.
The Cameroonian refugees Professors and professionals were arrested at Nera Hotel in Abuja on January 5, 2018 by security agents and later repatriated to Cameroon, tried by a military tribunal and sentenced to life imprisonment, at the Kondengui Maximum security detention facility.
In their petition, the asylum seekers in Nigeria pleaded with the House to among others; cause the government of Nigeria to institute an urgent action to secure the implementation of Communication 59/2022 of 14th October 2022 of the UN-HRC-WGAD calling for their release.
“Cause the Government of Nigeria to take action and implement the rulings in the three judgments of the Federal High Court of Abuja in 2019, ordering the release and compensation of these Petitioners.
“Call on the Nigeria government to leverage on the Abuja 2002 Ruling in Suit No FHC/ABJ/CS/30/2002 between The Southern Cameroons Rep by Kelvin Ngwang Ngumne et al Vs the Attorney General Federal Republic of Nigeria, and intervenes to resolve the conflict between Southern Cameroons and La Republique du Cameroun.
“Cause the Nigeria government to take action and urgently initiate proceedings before the ICJ and other international jurisdictions citing la République du Cameroun to be Sanctioned for fraudulent misrepresentation during the Bakassi Peninsula case in the — ICJ.
“The Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria should take its rightful place as a “Big brother” and intervene as a mediator between the Southern Cameroons and La Republique du Cameroun to resolve the ongoing conflict and restore peace and stability in the Gulf of Guinea region,” the petition reads in parts.
Addressing journalists on the petition, a lawyer at FRULAW CHAMBERS and a former Member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abdul Shaibu Oroh reiterated the call on President Tinubu-led Federal Government to employ diplomatic and political measures to ensure the release of detainees.
“What we are asking the parliament to do, we realise that these people were not detained under the administration of Bola Tinubu. Bola Tinubu is a human rights person. He was a former exile, a former refugee in another country who was running away from tyranny. He fought tyranny and defeated tyranny.
“Now there is hope renewed so we want that hope that is renewed to engage our neighbours, to touch the lives of our neighbours especially these my clients. We want him to intervene with the Cameronian authorities to release them. Even the UN Special Commission on Arbitrary Arrests made this appeal to the Buhari administration but you people know that the Buhari administration didn’t respect human rights, they didn’t listen to anybody.
“So we are appealing to him, we are appealing to our parliament elected by our people, by sovereign will of the Nigerian people to intervene with the Cameroonian authorities to release these people. May be they can go into a conversation to negotiate peace because these people are interested in peace. So that their refugees can return home, so that their people can have peace.
“You know, you can not negotiate with somebody who is not free. These people, one of them that former deputy registrar of ABU, he was 65 years old and according to the law of Cameroon you can not sentence a man who is 65 years old to life imprisonment. So what did they do? They fined him equivalent of $533 million. Even the Cameroonian state can not afford that kind of money not to talk of an individual, an old man who is simply saying let me be myself.

“So we want the Federal Government of Nigeria to intervene diplomatically and by other means to first of all secure the release of these people, their liberty and if they’re free it is now up to them to meet their people in one way or the other either to negotiate with the Cameronian state or whatever. That is going to be a political decision they will have to take on their own. We are interested in their liberty, freedom. That is the core of the petition we have submitted to the House Committee on Public Petitions,” he added.

Continue Reading
Advertisement
1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. Fruba

    April 21, 2024 at 12:59 pm

    Nigerian government should assist in seeking true justice and have these detainees regain freedom and liberty.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

News

I’ve never lied against anyone, says Dele Farotimi after regaining freedom

Published

on

A human rights advocate, Dele Farotimi, has been released from the correctional centre in Ekiti State after meeting his bail conditions.

Farotimi was released on Tuesday morning.

Last week Friday, at a magistrate court in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, granted Farotimi bail conditions, including a N30 million bond, two sureties, one of whom must be a property owner, a submission of Farotimi’s passport and a prohibition of Farotimi granting media interviews once released.

However, addressing media personnel after his release, Farotimi said he had never had any course to lie against anyone in his life, adding that whatever he had said about someone or an institution was true.

Advertisement

“It is not ever an easy journey when you are fighting evil, but some years back, before I started this work, God told me that the truth is enough. It is the only weapon with which you can slay the monster called Nigeria, which is the truth. In my war against the evil empire that we all lived in, I have never lied against anyone. If I don’t know, I will say I don’t know,” he said.

Recall, on July 2, Farotimi released a book titled ‘Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System’.

Months after the 116-page book’s release, renowned legal luminary Afe Babalola accused Farotimi of defamation, and this led to the human rights lawyer being arrested in a Gestapo-like manner at his Lagos office by a group of policemen attached to the Ekiti State Police Command on December 3.

Farotimi was then subsequently transported to Ekiti State.

Advertisement

Apart from the defamation charges initially brought against Farotimi at an Ekiti State Magistrate Court by Babalola’s team, Kayode Egbetokun, the Inspector General of Police also filed 12 additional charges against the lawyer at an Ekiti Federal High Court on December 6.

Apart from the defamation charges initially brought against Farotimi at an Ekiti State Magistrate Court by Babalola’s team, Kayode Egbetokun, the Inspector General of Police also filed 12 additional charges against the lawyer at an Ekiti Federal High Court on December 6.

The PUNCH reports that Farotimi was arraigned in court on charges bordering on defamation and cyberbullying, stemming from a petition by legal luminary and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Aare Afe Babalola, who alleged that Farotimi defamed him in his book.

According to the police, Farotimi, in the book, accused Babalola and other SANs of corrupting Justices of the Supreme Court.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

News

Doctors demand 70-year retirement age in new FEC memo

Published

on

The Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria has revealed that the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, is set to submit a memo to the Federal Executive Council regarding their demands to harmonise the retirement age for medical consultants to 70 years.

Additionally, Pate and the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, plan to submit a joint memo to the Presidential Committee on Salaries, advocating the universal application of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure for medical lecturers.

MDCAN recently embarked on a seven-day warning strike on November 18 to push for these demands.

The strike, however, was suspended after six days, following government intervention in a dispute over the Vice-Chancellor position at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, which addressed one of the association’s core concerns.

Advertisement

The association has reiterated its demand for the harmonisation of medical consultants’ retirement age to 70 years and for the universal application of CONMESS to all medical and dental officers.

Speaking with our correspondent on Tuesday, MDCAN President, Prof. Muhammad Muhammad, confirmed progress on the memos.

“We have seen the draft of the memo and included our input, but I am unsure of its current stage with the ministers. They are in the process of submitting it to the Federal Executive Council for consideration,” he said.

“The Minister of Health and the Minister of Education will jointly submit the memo on salary harmonisation to the Presidential Committee on Salaries.

Advertisement

We urge them to fulfil their commitments from the conciliation process to resolve these issues before our next meeting in January 2025.”

MDCAN’s next meeting is scheduled to take place from January 20 to 25, 2025, where further actions may be determined.

Continue Reading

News

Ex-Presidents’ wives lament disrespect after husbands’ tenure

Published

on

Wives of former presidents of African countries have lamented that they suffer systemic neglect, find themselves abandoned, stripped of their resources and dignity and relegated to obscurity after their husbands leave office or pass away.

The ex-presidents’ wives rendered these lamentations when they converged on Conakry, Republic of Guinea, for a conference aimed at having a formidable Former Presidents’ Wives Coalition.

From one former President’s wife to the others who spoke, it was similar tales of struggle and loss that they suffered, attributing it to a systemic issue that required urgent attention.

Championing the cause, Andre Toure, widow of Guinea’s late President Sekou Toure, said the coalition aimed to revive the aspirations of former Presidents’ wives and ensure they do not fade into oblivion after their public service.

Advertisement

“The coalition is to challenge the stigma and neglect faced by former Presidents’ wives, advocating their dignity and respect in society; to create a historical narrative that honours their contributions by establishing a museum dedicated to their lives and legacies, thus ensuring their stories are documented and remembered,” Toure said in a statement made available to The PUNCH.

Toure said the coalition’s vision is shared by former Presidents’ wives, Fatmata Momoh (Sierra Leone); and Isabel Vieira (Guinea-Bissau).

“We are here to combat the unfortunate reality that many former Presidents’ wives face after their husbands leave office.

“These women, who once held esteemed positions, often find themselves abandoned, stripped of their resources and dignity, and relegated to obscurity.

Advertisement

We are united by our shared experiences and our commitment to change this narrative.

“We are not just figures from the past; we have played significant roles in our nation’s histories, and we deserve recognition and respect. But, we are treated with indifference and disrespect after our husbands’ political careers end,” Toure said.

The tales of the struggle and loss of the widow of late President Samuel Kedo were also relayed at the conference.

Though she noted that the coalition’s impact waned over time due to disappointments and lack of sustained commitment from potential allies, she said the former Presidents’ wives were now dedicated to empowering their members and advocating for their rights.

Advertisement

‎‎As part of the efforts, Toure said the coalition would embark on a tour across various African nations, introducing their initiative to other former Presidents’ wives and seeking support from international partners.

‎‎She said, “The coalition’s mission is not only about advocacy; it’s a call for international partners, governments, and civil society to recognise the vital roles these women have played and to support their initiatives aimed at creating a more equitable and dignified existence for former Presidents’ wives across Africa.

“Their journey is a collective effort to reshape the narrative around women in leadership roles and to ensure that the sacrifices and contributions of these women are honoured and preserved for future generations.”

Credit: PUNCH

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2024 Naija Blitz News