By Christiana Ekpa
Professors of some Nigerian universities and other professionals working in Nigeria that have been detained in Cameroon have tendered a petition before the House of Representatives to intervene on their behalf.
The petitioners numbering 10 and are registered refugees in Nigeria are also calling on the Federal Government under President Bola Tinubu to deploy other means to secure their release from detention by the Cameroonian authorities.
Their petition is presented to the House Committee on Public Petitions by a legal firm, FRULAW CHAMBERS: Barristers, Solicitors, Public Notaries of the Cameroon Bar Association.
The Cameroonian refugees Professors and professionals were arrested at Nera Hotel in Abuja on January 5, 2018 by security agents and later repatriated to Cameroon, tried by a military tribunal and sentenced to life imprisonment, at the Kondengui Maximum security detention facility.
In their petition, the asylum seekers in Nigeria pleaded with House to among others; 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 their release.
“Cause the Government of Nigeria to take action and implement the rulings in the three judgments of the Federal High Court of Abuja in 2019, ordering the release and compensation of these Petitioners.
“Call on the Nigeria government to leverage on the Abuja 2002 Ruling in Suit No FHC/ABJ/CS/30/2002 between The Southern Cameroons Rep by Kelvin Ngwang Ngumne et al Vs the Attorney General Federal Republic of Nigeria, and intervenes to resolve the conflict between Southern Cameroons and La Republique du Cameroun.
“Cause the Nigeria government 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.
“The Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria should take its rightful place as a “Big brother” and intervene as a mediator between the Southern Cameroons and La Republique du Cameroun to resolve the ongoing conflict and restore peace and stability in the Gulf of Guinea region,” the petition said.
