Falana writes Buhari: Extradition of Cameroon separatist leaders could attract UN sanction

Femi Falana, human rights lawyer, says the extradition of some Cameroonian sepratist leaders could attract sanction from the United Nations.

On January 26, the federal government extradited separatist leaders, who were arrested at a hotel in Abuja.

In a letter addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari, Falana said the deportees were not illegal immigrants.

The lawyer said they were gathered at the Abuja hotel to discuss challenges faced by over 10,000 Cameroonians who have sought political asylum in Nigeria.

He said as a result of the “connivance” between the office of the national security adviser and the Cameroonian government, they were being held in an “undisclosed” military custody in Cameroon.

The lawyer asked the federal government to prevail on its Cameroonian counterpart not to “persecute our clients” to prevent the United Nations from sanctioning Nigeria for violating the provisions of the 1951 United Nations Convention Relating to refugees”.

“Twelve of our clients who are the leaders of the people of Southern Cameroon and who have been living in Nigeria for several years were assembled for a meeting at Nera Hotel, Abuja on Saturday, January 6, 2018 to discuss the challenges faced by the over 10,000 Cameroonians who have sought political asylum in Nigeria due to persecution and repression under the Paul Biya regime in Cameroon,” the letter read.

“But before the commencement of the meeting a team of armed security personnel invaded the venue, abducted our clients and took them away to an undisclosed place.

“In spite of the detailed report of the abduction, the police and the security agencies denied knowledge of the abduction of our clients. Consequently, all efforts made by the lawyers, doctors and family members of our clients to visit them in custody were frustrated without any legal justification. Even Mrs. Nalowa Bih who is pregnant was denied medical attention by the national security adviser.

“However, a representative of the office of the United Nations Commissioner for Refugees in Nigeria was allowed to visit our clients at the request of the ministry of foreign affairs. During the visit, the United Nations representative found that our clients were held in an underground cell at the headquarters of the Defence Intelligence Agency on the orders of the national security adviser.”

Falana urged Buhari to order the Babagana Monguno, national security adviser (NSA), to bring his clients back to the country.

The lawyer said if the NSA is unable to bring them back to the country, he should be removed from office for such “brazen impunity which has exposed Nigeria to ridicule before the comity of law-abiding nations”.

Falana argued that the people of South Cameroon have a right to self-determination.

“You will therefore agree with us that the arrest, detention and deportation of our clients from Nigeria to Cameroon by the National Security Adviser cannot be justified on the following grounds: Based on the appeal by Nigeria for a peaceful resolution of the political crisis in Cameroon the people of Southern Cameroon filed a suit at the federal high court to determine whether the people of southern Cameroon are not entitled to self-determination within their clearly defined territory separate from La Republique Du Cameroun,” he said.

“By a consent judgment delivered by the court on March 5, 2002, the federal government was directed to file a suit at the International Court of Justice to have a judicial confirmation of the human right of the people of Southern Cameroon to self-determination. Attached herewith and marked annexure A is a certified true copy of the judgment.

“The federal government also undertook to take other measures as may be necessary to place the case of the people of Southern Cameroon for self-determination before the United Nations General Assembly and other international organisations.”