Dokument #1028990
IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (Autor)
The following information was provided to
the Research Directorate in a 14 January 1998 telephone interview
with a Lagos-based representative of the Ford Foundation for West
Africa. The representative said that, in his opinion, failed
refugee claimants run a serious risk of being detained and tortured
on return to Nigeria. The risk of detention and torture is greater
if the person is known to be an opponent of the government. The
representative added that the current government is very sensitive
about its image abroad, and to make a claim for refugee status
could quite likely be interpreted by the government as a
"misrepresentation" of the situation in Nigeria, which is
"literally a treasonable offence." The representative added,
however, that it is unlikely that such people would be brought to
trial. They would be more likely to be detained without trial. He
added that people have been known to be detained without trial in
Nigeria for up to 15 years.
According to a 12 December 1995 article in
The Voice, a Nigerian, Abdul Onibiyo, was deported to
Nigeria in October 1995 after having applied for refugee status in
the United Kingdom. He had been involved with a London-based
Nigerian opposition organization, the Nigerian Democracy Movement.
In connection with deportation proceedings against Abdul Onibiyo's
son, Ade Onibiyo, Abdul Onibiyo's family and their lawyer stated
that Abdul Onibiyo had not been heard from since his deportation to
Nigeria and his family feared that he "'may be suffering
persecution from the military" (ibid., Manchester Guardian
Weekly 28 Jan. 1996).
Commenting on the Onibiyo case, the
Nigerian High Commission in London stated that Abdul Onibiyo was
not being detained by the Nigerian authorities and that the
Nigerian authorities had no reason to detain Onibiyo because he was
"not a politician and was not known by the Nigerian authorities to
be engaged in any political activities or campaigns." The High
Commission accused the Onibiyo family of "resort[ing] to the
despicable tactic of denigrating the Nigerian government as a means
to an end" (West Africa 8-14 Jan. 1996, 6).
Further information on the Onibiyo case
could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research
Directorate.
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 find below the
list of additional sources consulted in researching this
Information Request.
References
Ford Foundation, Lagos. 14 January 1998.
Telephone interview with a representative.
Manchester Guardian Weekly. 28
January 1996. Vivek Chaudhary. "Court Backs Asylum Refusal."
(NEXIS)
The Voice. 12 December 1995.
Adeline Iziren. "Don't Tear My Family Apart: Onibiyo Family
Two-Generation Deport Nightmare Goes On and On." (Ethnic News
Watch/NEXIS)
West Africa [London]. 8-14
January 1996. "Africa This Week: Nigeria: Deportation Furore."
Additional Sources Consulted
Electronic sources: IRB databases, FBIS,
Global News Bank, LEXIS/NEXIS, Internet, REFWORLD (UNHCR database),
World News Connection (WNC).
Four oral sources contacted did not
provide information on the requested subject.