Reports consulted by the Research Directorate indicate that the OPC remains active in Nigeria (AFP 15 May 2003; Daily Trust 21 Apr. 2003; This Day 18 Apr. 2003; ibid. 18 Mar. 2003; ibid. 26 Feb. 2003; ibid. 21 Feb. 2003; Tempo 9 Apr. 2003; HRW 28 Feb. 2003; ibid. Feb 2003), and that it benefits from the support of influential politicians (AFP 15 May 2003; HRW Feb 2003,1). This is in spite of President Obasanjo's 1999 ban of the OPC, "which remains in force to this day, despite the absence of any legislation" (28 Feb. 2003).

In April 2003, the OPC reportedly warned governors to accept the results of gubernatorial elections, should they lose, and not to "disorganise" the election as security reports showed them planning to do (This Day 18 Apr. 2003). A statement by the OPC said that the OPC and security agents would not allow governors to "subvert" the will of the people as expressed in the election (ibid.). Tempo points out that OPC members got involved in clashes with members of two drivers' unions during the gubernatorial election campaign in Oyo state which left ten people injured (9 April 2003), and police arrested a "serving commissioner in Kwara state and an OPC member" for electoral malpractice (Daily Trust 21 Apr. 2003).

OPC members were arrested by Nigerian authorities in 2003. A former official of the OPC, Kayode Ogundimisi, Chairman of the Odua Republic Fund, and until recently, secretary general of the OPC, who spends much of his time abroad, and Wale Adedayo, a reporter for the Nigerian daily, The Punch, were arrested and held incommunicado, in detention in May 2003, after Nigeria's State Security Services (SSS) intercepted them at Lagos airport on their way to London (AFP 15 May 2003), and 20 members of the OPC were arrested by Lagos state police in late February 2003 "for illegal detention of innocent citizens" (This Day 26 Feb. 2003).

According to the report, the organization claims to have over five million members scattered across Nigeria, with the majority of its members located in southwestern Nigeria or Yorubaland, "including Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Ondo, and Oyo, as well as in Ekiti, Kwara and Kogi" states (HRW Feb. 2003,6). The OPC also alleges to have members in other West African countries, including Benin, Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone, and outside Africa, in Brazil, Germany, Jamaica, the United Kingdom, and the United States (ibid.).

The nature and activities of the OPC are captured in the following paragraph:

The OPC is a complex organization, which has taken on several different roles as it has adapted to the changing political and security environment in Nigeria. ... Its activities have ranged from political agitation for Yoruba autonomy and promotion of Yoruba culture to violent confrontation with members of other ethnic groups, and, more recently, vigilantism and crime-fighting. In its two main spheres of activity?ethnic militancy and vigilantism?the OPC has been responsible for numerous human rights abuses and acts of violence, and its members have killed or injured hundreds of unarmed civilians. However, OPC members have been victims as well as perpetrators of human rights abuses. Hundreds of real or suspected OPC members have been killed by the police; many others have been arbitrarily arrested, tortured, and detained without trial for extended periods (Feb. 2003,1).

The report also says that the most extensive killings took place in the context of ethnic clashes between Yorubas and other ethnic groups and reached a climax in 2000, although human rights abuses continued in 2001 and 2002 (HRW Feb. 2003,1). The report further observes that the OPC has mainly been involved in intra-Yoruba conflicts and that, consequently, victims of its violence have included Yoruba (ibid.). Although the government has publicly condemned the actions of the OPC, it has not instituted serious measures to halt them or to enforce accountability (ibid.). Moreover, the OPC, among other ethnic militias, have enjoyed "the financial and political support of influential political figures" (ibid.). Additionally, "several government officials maintain close links with the OPC leadership, and OPC, and OPC members have provided security arrangements at official and public functions, in the presence of government officials" (ibid.).

For detailed information on the OPC including its history, activities and relationship with the Nigerian authorities, please consult the 53-page HRW briefing available at http://www.hrw.org/reports/2003/nigeria0203/nigeria0203.pdf.

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

Agence France Presse (AFP). 15 May 2001. "Nigerian Ethnic Nationalist Leader, Journalist Arested: Lawyer." (NEXIS)

Daily Trust [Abuja]. 21 April 2003. "Nigeria: Violence Mars Voting in Several States." (Africa/NEXIS)

Human Rights Watch (HRW). 28 February 2003. "Nigeria: OPC Continuing Threat to Security." http://www.hrw.org/press/2003/02/nigeria022803.htm. [Accessed 8 July 2003]

_____. February 2003. Vol. 15, No. 4 (A). "The O'odua People's Congress: Fighting Violence with Violence." http://hrw.org/reports/2003/nigeria0203/nigeria0203.pdf [Accessed 17 Apr. 2003]

This Day [Lagos]. 18 April 2003. Ademola Adeyemo. "Accept Results in Good Faith, OPC Pleads with GOVS." (Global News Wire-Asia Africa Intelligence Wire/NEXIS)

_____. 18 March 2003. "Nigeria: OPC Condemns Attack on Fawehinmi." (Africa News/NEXIS)

_____. 26 February 2003. "Nigeria: Police Arrest 20 OPC Members." (Africa News/NEXIS)

_____. 21 February 2003. "Nigeria: "OPC, IPC, Arewa Youth Pledge to Shun Conflicts." (Africa News/NEXIS)

Tempo [Lagos]. 9 April 2003. "Nigeria: Drivers, OPC Clash at Lam's Campaign" (Africa News/NEXIS)

Additional Sources Consulted

Africa Confidential

Africa Research Bulletin: Political, Social and Cultural Series

Amnesty International

Country Reports 2000-2002

IRB Databases

Internet sites, including:

Africaon Online

Allafrica.com

BBC Africa

Daily Champion

Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN)

New Nigerian

Newswatch Nigeria

Nigeria Daily

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