By Baron Ike
There are indications that the 10 Cameroonian citizens who are agitating for a state of Ambazonia may be prosecuted in Nigeria.
Armadanews.com gathered at the weekend that the Federal Government of Nigeria and her Cameroonian counterparts are putting heads together to ensure that they are sanctioned appropriately since there is no existing extradition treaty between the two countries.
Their prosecution, our source said, may be in line with Nigerian law where they came to hold the secret meeting, without “authorisation.”
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami and the DSS are believed to be putting heads together on the appropriate charges to be preferred against them.
A source in a position to know disclosed that plans were afoot to get them prosecuted in Nigeria.
The Cameroonians are: Mr. Julius Ayuk Tabe; Mr. Wilfred Tassang; Dr. Nfor Ngala Nfor; Professor Augustine Awasom; Dr. Cornelius Kwanga; Dr. Henry Kimeng; Elias Eyambe Esq; Nalova Bih Esq; Dr. Ojong Okongo; and Dr. Fidelis Nde Che.
They were arrested by operatives of the Nigerian Department of State Security (DSS) in an hotel in Abuja (Nera Hotel, Abuja) on Saturday, January 6, where they were believed to be holding a meeting on the creation of Ambazonia State out of the existing Cameroon.
Their arrest triggered agitations from the public, mainly those from the civil society who insisted that their human rights were being violated.
In January 11, Human Rights lawyer, Femi Falana, wrote to the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris to investigate the abduction of the Southern Cameroonian leaders.
Falana wrote: “Our clients are the leaders of the movement agitating for the creation of the Republic of Ambazonia in Cameroon. Our clients are not illegal immigrants in Nigeria as some of them have been granted political asylum by the Federal Government while others have valid permanent resident status in Nigeria apart from Professor Augustine Awasom who is a United States citizen.
“Our clients were assembled for a meeting at Nera Hotel, Abuja on Saturday, January 6, 2018. However, before the commencement of the meeting a team of armed operatives of the State Security Service invaded the venue, abducted our clients and took them away to an undisclosed place.
“The said abduction was reported by the Premium Times edition of Sunday, January 7, 2018. In spite of the detailed report of the credible online news medium the State Security Service has denied knowledge of the abduction of our clients. Consequently, all efforts made by the counsel and family members of our clients to visit them in custody have proved abortive.
“You will agree with us that by not disclosing information on the abduction to the relatives of our clients the State Security Service has violated section 6 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act which has imposed a duty on any authority having custody of a suspect to notify the next of kin or relative of the suspect of the arrest at no cost to the suspect. Similarly, by denying them access to their lawyers the fundamental right of our clients to fair hearing has been breached by the State Security Service without any legal justification.
“Although we have confirmed that the Government of Cameroon has requested the Federal Government to repatriate our clients to Cameroon we are confident that the Federal Government will not accede to such request since there is no extradition treaty between the two countries. In the circumstance, the Federal Government ought to release our clients unconditionally.
“In view of the foregoing, we are compelled to request you to use your good offices to investigate the circumstances of the abduction of the Cameroonian leaders by the State Security Service and any other security agency involved in the embarrassing episode. However, if the Federal Government has evidence of the involvement of our clients in any criminal offence, whatsoever, the Attorney General of the Federation should be directed to arraign them in a properly constituted court without any further delay.”
Falana also threatened to take the Federal Government to court if she fails to release them or take them to court appropriately.
“TAKE NOTICE therefore that if our clients are not released from illegal custody or arraigned in court within 48 hours of the receipt of this letter we shall not hesitate to apply to the Federal High Court to secure the enforcement of their fundamental rights to personal liberty guaranteed by Section 35 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended and article 6 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act Cap A9 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004,” Falana wrote.