Recent corroborating sources referred to the arrest and detention by the police of several members of the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) (This Day 18 June 2004; Vanguard 10 May 2004; Nigeria Masterweb 3 June 2004; The Guardian 2 July 2004). The 10 May 2004 Vanguard article indicated that about 150 MASSOB members were arrested by the police while attending a service at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Kaduna State. Another Vanguard article, published on 1 July 2004, indicated that two members of this movement were arrested in Benin City, in Edo State, for disturbing public peace. The 18 June 2004 issue of the Nigerian newspaper This Day indicated that dozens of MASSOB members were arrested between 27 May and 1 June 2004 in Imo and Anambra states and were detained at various police stations in Abuja (18 June 2004).

Human Rights Watch (HRW) indicated in its December 2003 Nigeria: Renewed Crackdown on Freedom of Expression report that MASSOB members were persistently harassed by police acting on orders from the federal government. The most serious incident occurred on 29 March 2003 when, in Imo State, the police blocked the road before opening fire on a convoy of MASSOB members (HRW Dec. 2003; BBC 31 Mar. 2003; Country Reports 2003 25 Feb. 2004, Sec. 2b). The number of deaths quoted by sources ranges from seven to some fifty (ibid.; BBC 31 Mar. 2003; HRW Dec. 2003).

Concerning state protection available to MASSOB members, the Nigerian Inspector General of Police, Tafa Balogun, said recently that, since ethnic militias were not allowed to operate under the constitution, activities of ethnic militias, including the MASSOB, are no longer tolerated on Nigerian soil (BBC 1 July 2004). Moreover, Alhaji Ibrahim Mashi, Director of State Security Services (SSS) in Ebonyi State, described MASSOB activities as "illegal and treasonable," adding that the MASSOB posed "a threat to the nation's security" (The Daily Champion 3 June 2004).

Some MASSOB members, who were arrested recently and detained in Abuja, asked the Federal Court to declare their detention illegal and unconstitutional, and claimed that their fundamental rights had been violated and that they were not brought to court within the 48 hours stipulated in the 1999 Constitution (This Day 18 June 2004; Daily Champion 19 June 2004). No information about the court decision in this matter could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

Information on the documents that the MASSOB issues to its members was limited among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. In his list of objects seized during the arrests of MASSOB members on 29 and 30 May 2004 in Imo and Anambra states, respectively, the Nigerian Inspector General of Police, at a press conference in Abuja, included "MASSOB Identity Cards," "MASSOB application forms," "MASSOB calendars," and "MASSOB stickers" (The Guardian 2 July 2004). Quoting an Edo State police commissioner, Vanguard indicated in a 1 July 2004 article that, upon arresting MASSOB members in their homes in Benin City, the police found items including "identity cards, maps, badges and calendars" with the word "Biafra" on them. Neither The Guardian nor Vanguard provided further description of the documents seized.

Created in 1999 (HRW Dec. 2003; Nigeria Masterweb 3 June 2004), the MASSOB was officially banned by the Nigerian government (ibid.; BBC 31 Mar. 2003) in 2001 (Nigeria Masterweb 3 June 2004). However, this movement, which advocates a separate state of Biafra for the Igbo people (HRW Dec. 2003), defines itself as a non-violent organization (Vanguard 10 May 2004; This Day 8 June 2004; Daily Champion 3 June 2004; HRW Dec. 2003).

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 for refugee protection. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

BBC News. 1 July 2004. "Crackdown on Nigeria's Militias." http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3856261.stm [Accessed 2 July 2004]

_____. 31 March 2003. Dan Isaacs. "Political Violence in Nigeria." http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/2902973.stm [Accessed 5 July 2004]

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2003. 25 February 2004. United States Department of State. Washington, D.C. http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2003/27743.htm [Accessed 12 July 2004]

Daily Champion [Lagos]. 19 June 2004. Malachy Uzendu. "Detained MASSOB Members Sue IGP, Others." http://allafrica.com/stories/200406210343.html [Accessed 13 July 2004]

_____. 3 June 2004. Kenneth Ofoma. "SSS Labels MASSOB Security Threat." http://allafrica.com/stories/printable/200406030394.html [Accessed 18 June 2004]

The Guardian [Lagos]. 2 July 2004. "State of Security in the Country, By Balogun." http://www.odili.net/news/source/2004/jul/2/12.html [Accessed 12 July 2004]

Human Rights Watch (HRW). December 2003. Vol. 15, No. 19 (A). Nigeria: Renewed Crackdown on Freedom of Expression. http://www.hrw.org/reports/2003/nigeria1203/index.htm [Accessed 7 July 2004]

Nigeria Masterweb. 3 June 2004. Tori Foxcroft. "38 MASSOB Members to Be Tried for Treason." http://www.nigeriamasterweb.com/TransAtlantic/TransAtlanticNews7.html [Accessed 7 July 2004]

This Day [Lagos]. 18 June 2004. Lillian Okenwa. "MASSOB Suspects Sue Inspector General, Allege Rights Abuse." http://allafrica.com/stories/200406180827.html [Accessed 7 July 2004]

_____. 8 June 2004. Agaju Madugba. "MASSOB Reaffirms Resolve Against Violence." http://www.thisdayonline.com/news/20040609sta07.html [Accessed 24 June 2004]

Vanguard [Lagos]. 1 July 2004. Emma Amaize. "Police Nab Suspected MASSSOB Members in Benin City." http://allafrica.com/stories/200407010130.html [Accessed 12 July 2004]

_____. 10 May 2004. Emeka Mamah. "Police Raid MASSOB Men in Church, Confirm Arrest of Four." http://www.vanguardngr.com/articles/2002/cover/f510052004.html [Accessed 18 June 2004]

Additional Sources Consulted

The Canadian diplomatic representation in Nigeria did not respond to an information request within the constraints for this Response.

Publications: Africa Confidential, Africa Research Bulletin, Jeune Afrique/L'Intelligent, Keesing's Record of World Events, Resource Centre country file, West Africa.

Internet sites, including: AllAfrica, Amnesty International, Ecoi.net, MISNA, Nigeria Daily.