Why Nigeria must intervene in the arrest of Venezuelan envoy by Cape Verde 

Nigeria overtime is known to play the big brother role in Africa. That is because for a very long time its foreign policy has been centred on seeking a united and progressive continent. 

No one needs to be reminded of the role Nigeria played against the apartheid regime in South Africa.

The West African country has been a major contributor of soldiers and police officers for peace keeping missions across the region and Africa at large.

Between 2003 and 2018, Nigeria’s troops were the backbone of the United Nations (UN) efforts in Liberia that had suffered from a devastating civil war. Largely, peace has returned to the country.

Even recently, President Muhammadu Buhari played a role in dousing a political crisis that was brewing in The Gambia in 2016.

Former Gambia President Yahya Jammeh was reluctant in handing over power to Adama Barrow, the president-elect, at the time. The persuasion by Buhari and other African leaders – including Ghana’s John Mahama who had just conceded an election – made Jammeh eventually relinquish power to Barrow.

Now just a little bit over 800 kilometers from The Gambia and into the Atlantic Ocean, Alex Saab, an envoy of the Venezuelan government, has been imprisoned by the Cape Verdean authorities since June 12, 2020.

The envoy was arrested when his private jet made a stop over at Cape Verde on his way to Iran on behalf of his government. He was arrested on the US identified him as a person of interest.

The US is seeking to extradite the Venezuelan over allegations of corruption. Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro is having a frosty relationship with the world power.

Saab, through his lawyers, has made attempts to block his extradition to the US by the Cape Verdean courts. On this basis, Femi Falana, human rights lawyer, was instructed to ask the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) court to stop the extradition.

The court ordered the immediate release of the envoy from prison and said that he should be placed under house arrest for health reasons.

It also ordered that extradition hearing be suspended in Cape Verde pending the hearing and determination of the suit before it in Abuja, Nigeria.

But Cape Verde has argued that the ECOWAS does not have the jurisdiction to hear the matter.

Except Cape Verde has decided to remove itself from the regional body, it is part of the ECOWAS and must obey its decisions.

I do not want Nigeria to dominate the region but it should ensure that the rule of law must apply to all member states of the organisation.

Nigeria has played so many roles in ensuring that there is peace and stability in the region – all cannot just go waste over the Saab situation that has the potential of escalating if countries in the region begin to take sides.

Also, it will lay a bad precedent for other countries in the region and further diminish whatever respect is left for ECOWAS if Cape Verde is allowed to have its way.

I have always seen international politics as “survival of the fittest” and a “dirty game” that all cards – including mudslinging – are on the table. So, whether Saab is guilty of the allegations or not, he deserves to be treated with decency.

Let Saab be freed from prison and be placed under house arrest where he could have access to medical care until the matter is determined by the ECOWAS court next month.

You can contact Shibayan on Twitter @justdyepis.