Nigeria: Whether, since the arrival of the civilian government, an amnesty has been granted to soldiers/naval men/air force men who fled Nigeria during the Abacha regime; if so, whether this amnesty would be applied to a naval man who was detained twice by the Nigerian armed forces
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 16 November 2000 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | NGA35809.E |
| Reference | 2 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Nigeria: Whether, since the arrival of the civilian government, an amnesty has been granted to soldiers/naval men/air force men who fled Nigeria during the Abacha regime; if so, whether this amnesty would be applied to a naval man who was detained twice by the Nigerian armed forces, 16 November 2000, NGA35809.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3df4be7a24.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
During the interim government of Abubakar, several amnesties were granted, specifically to those involved in the 1995 and 1997 coup plots. Please consult NGA31550.E of 1 April 1999 and NGA32311.E of 19 July 1999 for more detailed information on these amnesties.
In a 14 November 2000 telephone interview, the Army Attaché of the High Commission for the Federal Republic of Nigeria in Washington stated that, since the arrival of civilian government in Nigeria, no amnesties beyond those mentioned above had been granted to military personnel who fled under Abacha's tenure.
This information was corroborated by a Research Fellow with the African Studies Centre, Boston University, in a 24 October 2000 telephone interview.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please see below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Response.
References
High Commission for the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Washington, D. C. 14 November 2000. Telephone interview with Army Attaché.
Research Fellow, African Studies Centre, Boston University. 24 October 2000. Telephone interview.
Additional Sources Consulted
Africa Confidential [London]
Africa Research Bulletin [Oxford]
Amnesty International Urgent Appeals. Resource Centre.
IRB Databases
LEXIS/NEXIS
Nigeria Country File. Resource Centre.
War Resisters International. 1997. Refusing to Bear Arms: A World Survey of Conscription and Conscientious Objection to Military Service.
World News Connection (WNC)
Unsuccessful attempts to obtain information from 4 additional non-documentary sources.
Internet Sites including:
Africa Policy Information Centre
AllAfrica.com
Amnesty International
Country Reports 1998, 1999
Human Rights Watch
Immigration and Nationality Directorate, UK
Nigeria Media Monitor
Post Express Wired [Ikeja]
The Guardian [Lagos]