Nigeria: Arrest of Magazine Editor

Case NGA 191197

The International Secretariat requests your URGENT intervention in the
following situation in Nigeria.

Brief description of the situation:
The International Secretariat has been informed by reliable sources of
the arrest and ill-treatment of Onome Osifo-Whiskey, managing editor
of Tell magazine, on 10 November 1997 by State Security Service (SSS)
agents at the Opebi Junction in the Ikeja section of Lagos.

According to the information received, Mr. Osifo-Whiskey was
repeatedly beaten by the agents who escorted him to his residence
before transporting him to an undisclosed location. After
Osifo-Whiskey's arrest, eleven SSS agents went to the Tell magazine
editorial offices where they harassed the staff, searched the
premises, and subsequently towed one of the magazine's distribution
vans to the SSS headquarters at Shangisha. 

The information brings further to light a great number of cases
describing arbitrary arrests and ill-treatment of journalists during
the past months in Nigeria which shows a heightened and systematic
pattern of press freedom violations. 

Furthermore, the International Secretariat would like underline that
the right to freedom of expression is guaranteed in article 19 of the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the article 9
of the African Charter on Human and People's Rights; both are ratified
by Nigeria.

Action requested:
Please write to the authorities of Nigeria urging them to:

i.	take all the necessary measures to guarantee the physical and
psychological integrity of Onome Osifo-Whiskey and of all others
journalists in detention;

ii.	order the immediate release of Onome Osifo-Whiskey in the absence
of valid charges, or if such charges exist, bring him before a
competent an impartial civil tribunal and guarantee his procedural
rights at all times;

iii.	carry out an impartial and thorough investigation into the
events, identify those responsible and impose upon them the civil,
penal and/or administrative sanctions provided by law.

iv.	ensure in all circumstances the full respect of human rights and
fundamental freedoms in accordance with national and international
standards.

Addresses:
General Sani Abacha, Chairman of the Provisional Ruling Council and
Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, State House, Abuja, Federal
Capital Territory, Nigeria. Fax : + 234 95 232 138 Lieutenant-General
D. Oladipo Diya, Vice-Chairman, Provisional Ruling Council and Chief
of General Staff, State House, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory,
Nigeria. Telegram : Lieutenant-General Diya, Abuja, Nigeria. Alhaji
Aminu Saleh, Secretary to the Government of the Federation of Nigeria,
State House, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria. Telegram :
Alhaji Saleh, Abuja, Nigeria.  Alhaji Ibrahim Coomasie, Inspector
General of Police, Nigeria Police Force Headquarters, Garki, Abuja,
Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria. Telegram : Alhaji Coomasie, Abuja,
Nigeria.

The Nigerian Embassy in your respective countries

Geneva, 19 November 1997

Kindly inform us of any action taken quoting the code of this appeal
in your reply.

The Human Rights Action Network, a part of Derechos Human Rights, distributes appeals on behalf of victims of human rights violations. You are invited to join the network. Please check the date of the present action and do not write if it's over a month old.