Nigeria: Amnesty International Annual Report Entries on Nigeria 1968-2010
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AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL ANNUAL REPORT ENTRIES ON NIGERIA 1968- 2010 Amnesty International Publications First published in 2010 by Amnesty International Publications International Secretariat Peter Benenson House 1 Easton Street London WC1X 0DW United Kingdom www.amnesty.org Copyright Amnesty International Publications 2010 Index: AFR 44/018/2010 Original Language: English Printed by Amnesty International, International Secretariat, United Kingdom All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publishers. Amnesty International is a global movement of 2.2 million people in more than 150 countries and territories, who campaign on human rights. Our vision is for every person to enjoy all the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights instruments. We research, campaign, advocate and mobilize to end abuses of human rights. Amnesty International is independent of any government, political ideology, economic interest or religion. Our work is largely financed by contributions from our membership and donations CONTENTS 1 June 1967- 31 May 1968 Annual Report..................................................................... 5 1968-9 Annual Report .................................................................................................. 5 1969-70 Annual Report ................................................................................................ 5 1970-1971 Annual Report ............................................................................................ 5 1971-1972 Annual Report ............................................................................................ 6 1972-73 Annual Report ................................................................................................ 6 1973-74 Annual Report ................................................................................................ 6 1975-1976 Annual Report ............................................................................................ 7 1977 Annual Report ..................................................................................................... 9 1978 Annual Report ................................................................................................... 10 1979 Annual Report ................................................................................................... 11 1980 Annual Report ................................................................................................... 12 1983 Annual Report ................................................................................................... 13 1984 Annual Report ................................................................................................... 14 1985 Annual Report ................................................................................................... 16 1986 Annual Report ................................................................................................... 19 1987 Annual Report ................................................................................................... 21 1988 Annual Report ................................................................................................... 24 1989 Annual Report ................................................................................................... 26 1990 annual report ..................................................................................................... 29 1991 Annual Report.................................................................................................... 32 1992 Annual Report.................................................................................................... 35 1993 Annual Report.................................................................................................... 37 1994 Annual Report.................................................................................................... 40 1995 Annual Report.................................................................................................... 44 1996 Annual Report.................................................................................................... 48 1997 Annual Report.................................................................................................... 53 1998 Annual Report.................................................................................................... 57 1999 Annual Report.................................................................................................... 61 2000 Annual Report.................................................................................................... 65 2001 Annual Report.................................................................................................... 70 2002 Annual Report.................................................................................................... 75 2003 Annual Report.................................................................................................... 80 2004 Annual Report.................................................................................................... 85 2005 Annual Report.................................................................................................... 90 2006 Annual Report.................................................................................................... 94 2007 Annual Report.................................................................................................... 98 2008 Annual Report.................................................................................................. 103 2009 Annual Report.................................................................................................. 109 2010 Annual Report.................................................................................................. 115 Amnesty International Annual Report Entries on Nigeria 1968-2010 5 1 JUNE 1967- 31 MAY 1968 ANNUAL REPORT The tragic development of the Nigerian civil war is well known. In the violence and confusion of a war situation of this kind the normal framework of law and human rights within which Amnesty operates is inevitably suspended. A careful watch is being kept in the situation and information on the legal background to the detentions in Federal Nigeria has been forwarded to the I.C.J. At present Amnesty has only one adopted prisoner, Wole Soyinka, the poet and playwright. 1968-9 ANNUAL REPORT The basic human rights of many thousands of Nigerians have been suspended during the present tragic conflict. It is difficult for Amnesty to be effective in this atmosphere while the country is in a state of civil war and only a very small number of cases have been taken up. 1969-70 ANNUAL REPORT In a cable to the Head of State Amnesty welcomed the amnesty announced by General Gowon on the ending of the civil war and asked for assurances that the amnesty would be fully observed and normal legal procedures followed. A prompt and courteous reply was received from General Gowon. Nevertheless it would seem that the Government has not yet established full control throughout the country and disturbing reports have been received concerning arbitrary a rrests, ill-treatment and even killing of former Biafrans in the former Biafran areas, particularly in the Port Harcourt district. These reports are being investigated. A number of newspaper editors have recently been arrested who may well prove to be cases for Amnesty. 1970-1971 ANNUAL REPORT Following the amnesty declared by General Gowon at the close of the Biafran war, the Nigerian government indicated that leaders of the rebellion not covered by the amnesty would Index: AFR 44/018/2010 Amnesty International October 2010 6 Amnesty International Annual Report Entries on Nigeria 1968-2010 be tried by special tribunals with powers to inflict a maximum penalty of imprisonment. Certain civilian and military leaders of the former Biafran regime are reported to be still under arrest or restriction- including two ex-members of the Biafran Executive, Dr. Pius Okigbo and Dr. Albert Okonkwo (the former is being held in Enugu and the latter at Lagos). Amnesty has raised the question of these men and other former Biafrans still in detention in a letter to the Nigerian government, and is also looking into the cases of a number of junior officers detained since before the outbreak of the civil war in 1967. 1971-1972 ANNUAL REPORT In November 1971 the Nigerian government issued a statement announcing the reintegration into the Nigerian armed forces of certain officers who had fought on the Biafran side during the Nigerian civil war; the same statement also confirmed the continued detention of 30 persons, including some former Biafran civilian leaders and a number of officers allegedly involved in the pre-war coup of January 1966. During the year Amnesty raised the cases of all these men in letters to the Nigerian head of state, General Gowon. Dr. Pius Okigbo is one of the former Biafran leaders who was released from detention during the year. Amnesty also adopted two leaders of the Nigerian Trades Union Congress who were detained in February 1971 following a series of go-slows and strikes. The two men were released in May 1972. 1972-73 ANNUAL REPORT Amnesty International's principal concern in