Some human rights advocates and families of the Southern Cameroonian leaders otherwise called NERA 10, following their abduction from a hotel in Nigeria, in 2018, and jailed in Cameroon, have intensified appeal for their release amidst growing concerns over the legitimacy of their detention.
Recall that the NERA 10 were allegedly forcibly taken by security forces and handed over to Cameroon, in a move widely condemned as a violation of international law, and since then they have been held under harsh conditions, sparking outrage among human rights advocates and their families.
However, 7 years after, the families, alongside human rights advocates, continue to push for justice, urging authorities to honor legal rulings and secure the release of the NERA 10, as they believed that their case stands as a call for stronger enforcement of human rights across Africa and peaceful resolution of political conflicts.
For Chinyere Ogork, the wife of one of detainees, who decried its devastating impact on her family, said: “They left us in poverty.”
Forced to raise her children alone, she pleaded with the Nigerian government for her husband’s release.
“My husband loves this country. He married your daughter. Please get him released.
“They did injustice to me and my family left in poverty, I became a single mother over night, in fact it’s a very painful story, which I don’t want to remember. We are suffering especially now, considering the situation of the country.
“By God’s grace we are managing our lives living like a widow and fatherless child.
“I don’t sleep at night thinking how to handle things in the family, now I’m having high blood pressure. To maintain my the family has been my major issue imagine load of two on one is not easy”, she stressed.
According to concerned human right advocates, it was time that the Nigerian government, civil society organizations, and international leaders mount pressure on the Cameroonian regime for their release.
They observed that the plight of the NERA 10 has become emblematic of the ongoing human rights violations in the region, with calls for increased international awareness and action.
A leader of Southern Cameroonian refugees in Abuja, who Cho Ernest highlighted the broader implications of the NERA 10’s detention, noted that their case exposes Africa’s disregard for human rights, he called for leaders to uphold democratic values and respect fundamental freedoms.
Also, a human rights advocate, Febsar Eric, described the situation as a stark reminder of the region’s political challenges.
“Their unjust detention reflects how human rights are often sidelined in political conflicts. We must remain hopeful that justice will prevail,” he said.
It was gathered that the Federal High Court of Abuja, in its judgment (No. FHC/ABJ/CS/85/2018) on March 1, 2019, declared the abduction and deportation of the NERA 10 illegal, ordering their release and compensation. Similarly, the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD), in its Communication 59/2022 dated October 14, 2022, called for their immediate release. However, despite these rulings, the NERA 10 remain imprisoned five years on.
The NERA 10 comprise accomplished academics, professionals, and advocates:
Julius Ayuk Tabe: Information technology expert and Vice President of the American University of Nigeria; Augustine Cheh Awasum: Professor of Veterinary Surgery and Diagnostic Imaging at Ahmadu Bello University; Blaise Berinyuy Sevidzem: Human rights advocate, solicitor, and notary public; and Cornelius Njikimbi Kwanga: Economist and Senior Lecturer at Umaru Musa Yar’adua University.
Others are: Egbe Ogork Ntui: Structural engineer and Associate Professor at Bayero University;
Elias Ebai Eyambe: Barrister, solicitor, and notary public;
Fidelis Ndeh-Che: Senior Lecturer in Engineering at the American University of Nigeria;
Henry Tata Kimeng: Associate Professor of Engineering and Architecture at Ahmadu Bello University; Nfor Ngala Nfor: Political scientist and author; and Wilfred Fombang Tassang: Secondary school teacher and trade union leader.
