Document #1125012
IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (Author)
On the exact date of early 1995 coup
attempt, the attached article from the 9-15 October 1995 issue of
West Africa and the attached 3 October 1995 article from the
Federal Braodcast Information Service (FBIS) report on a Nigerian
television broadcast during which an unindentified announcer stated
that the coup plot was uncovered in February 1995 (1157; 25). On
the involvment of General Yar'Adua in the alleged coup plot, the
announcer stated that General Yar'Adua and Lt.-Colonel Sambo Dasuki
"discussed the Federal Military Government under the leadership of
General Sani Abacha and concluded that steps must be taken to
remove the government" (ibid.). The attached August 1995 Africa
News article states that the trial was held behind closed
doors. For information on General Yar'Adua, his fate and the fate
of others involved in the alleged coup plot, as well as the names
of all those arrested or sought in relation to the alledged coup
plot and on the round-ups related to the alledged coup plot, please
consult the attached articles.
This Response was prepared after
researching publicly accessible information currently available to
the DIRB 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.
Attachments
Africa Confidential [London]. 17
March 1995. Vol. 36, No. 6. "Nigeria: Coup Talk," p. 8.
Africa News [London]. August
1995. "Skeptics Doubt Nigerian Junta's Commitment to Civilian
Rule." (NEXIS)
Africa Research Bulletin: Political,
Social and Cultural Series [Oxford]. 26 April 1995. Vol. 32,
No. 3. "Nigeria: 'Coup Plot' Arrests," pp. 11794-95.
Agence France Presse (AFP) [Paris, in
English]. 10 March 1995. "Government Orders Arrests for Coup
Attempt: 29 Officers, civilians Arrested" (FBIS-AFR-95-047 10 Mar.
1995, pp. 9-10)
BBC World Service [London, in English].
9 March 1995. "General Yar'adua Said Arrested." (FBIS-AFR-95-047 9
Mar. 1995, pp. 10-11)
Deutsche Presse-Agentur. 11 October
1995. BC Cycle. "Former Nigerian President, Other Coup Plotters to
Serve Jail Terms." (NEXIS)
Foreign Broadcast Information Service
(FBIS). 1 October 1995. "Military Tribunal Convicts 43 Alleged
Coupists." (FBIS-AFR-95-191 3 Oct. 1995, p. 25-27)
NTA Television Network [Lagos, in
English]. 22 September 1995. "Government Continues Search for Coup
Plotters." (FBIS-AFR-95-185 25 Sept. 1995, p. 27)
Radio Nigeria Network [Lagos, in
English]. 5 June 1995. "Coup Plotter Trial Begins; Suspects
Listed." (FBIS-AFR-95-108 6 June 1995, p. 29)
Reuters. 11 October 1995. BC Cycle.
James Jukwey. "Cutting Jail Terms Brings Little Joy to Nigerian
Opposition." (NEXIS)
_____. 30 September 1995. BC Cycle.
James Jukwey. "Nigerian Crisis Focuses on Five Tough Men."
(NEXIS)
_____. 8 June 1995. BC Cycle. Tunde
Obadina. "Retired Nigerian Generals Seek Obasango's Freedom."
(NEXIS)
_____. 13 March 1995. BC Cycle. James
Jukwey. "Former Nigerian Leader Obasanjo Arrested." (NEXIS)
West Africa [London]. 23-29
October 1995. Bola Olowo. "Mercy for Coup Plotters,"pp.
1639-40."
_____. 9-15 October 1995. "'The 1995
Coup Plot'," p. 1557.
_____. 13-19 March 1995. Lindsay
Barrett. "Rumblings in the Army," pp. 377-78.
The Xinhua News Agency. 19 April 1995.
"Nigerian Government Defends Detention of Retired General."
(NEXIS)