Nigeria's former President Ibrahim Babangida failed to show up once again on Monday before a panel investigating three decades of human rights abuses in Nigeria. 'The Guardian' newspaper reported that for more than five hours, lawyers engaged in a fierce legal battle to determine the legality of the summons served on Babangida and other former heads of state over charges of rights violations during their administrations. The chairman of the commission, Justice Chukwudifu Oputa, said he would rule on the issue on 3 October. Last week, Babangida - who ruled from 1985 to 1993 - and other former Nigerian rulers, Muhammadu Buhari (1984-1985) and retired general Abdulsalami Abubakar (1988-1989), failed to appear before the commission.
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
Share this article
