Six Cameroonian professors working in Nigerian universities and four others have sought the immediate intervention of the House of Representatives to secure their release after being allegedly abducted and deported to their home country.

According to the Nation, they said they had been imprisoned in Cameroon since January 2018.

It was learned that they were being detained at Kondengui Security Detention facility in Cameroon.

The detainees who claimed to be legal residents in Nigeria alleged that they were illegally abducted and deported from Nigeria on January 5, 2018, to Cameroon, on “frivolous allegations of plotting to destabilise the government of La Republique du Cameroon (LRC) President Mr. Paul Biya.”

They added that they were unlawfully prosecuted and remanded in prison in their home country, Cameroon despite two subsisting judgements given by Nigerian courts which declared their prolonged detention as unlawful.

Those who submitted the petition to the Nigerian federal lawmakers on their behalf are Prof. Carlson Anyangwe, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, Barr. Fru Joseph Awah, Barr. Abdul Oroh and Barr. Mbinkar Ernestine Singeh.

They added that considering the position of Nigerian courts on this, the House of Representatives should compel the Cameroonian government to free them from prison and compensate them financially.

They also added that in October 2022, the UN Human Rights Council Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UN-HRC-WGAD) in Communication 59/2022 of October 14, 2022, found their arrest and detention by Nigeria and Cameroon arbitrary and illegal and asked both countries to unconditionally free the victims and pay them appropriate compensation.

The petition reads: “Cause the government of Nigeria to institute an urgent action to secure the implementation of Communication 59/2022 of 14th October 2022 of the UN-HRC-WGAD calling for the release of the Petitioners.

“Cause the Government of Nigeria to take action and implement the rulings in the 3 judgments of the Federal High Court of Abuja in 2019, ordering the release and compensation of these Petitioners.

“Cause Nigeria to leverage on the Abuja 2002 ruling in the case of Kelvin Ngwang Ngumne et al Vs the FGN, demanding that Nigeria intervenes to resolve the conflict between Southern Cameroons and La Republique du Cameroun and respect for the particular clause of the Green Tree Agreement which demands that both la Republique du Cameroun and Nigeria retain their boundaries at independence, To pursue the self-determination quest of the Southern Cameroons to its logical conclusion as mandated by the FHC 2002 judgment.

“Cause the Government of Nigeria to take action and urgently initiate proceedings before the ICJ and other international jurisdictions citing la République du Cameroun to be sanctioned for fraudulent misrepresentation during the Bakassi Peninsula case in the ICJ.

“Cause the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to take its rightful place as “big brother” in African politics and cause the African Union or the United Nations to intervene in the matter between the Southern Cameroons and La Republique du Cameroun or to proceed as mediator and resolve the ongoing conflict and restore peace and stability in the Gulf of Guinea region.”

At the last hearing of the subject before the House Committee on Public Petitions, Mohammed Manu, a representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had no record of the petition.

He did, however, state that their results proved that the government was handling the situation as a security and legal concern.

Hon. Mike Etaba, Chairman of the Committee, adjourned the hearing till April 16, 2024, for proper service and hearing.

Source: Sahara Reporters