Nigeria Comes Under UN Hammer For Breaching International Agreement

Nigeria has been heavily criticized by the United Nations Refugee Agency for breaching international agreements as regards violation of the principle of non-refoulement, which is a pivot of international refugee law.

The breach according to UNHCR was in respect to the extradition of leader of a Cameroonian separatist movement Sisiku Ayuk Tabe and 46 others who were arrested in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, on January 5.

Nigeria Comes Under UN Hammer For Breaching International Agreement

Ayuk Tabe’s movement made a declaration of independence on October 1, 2017, with the Cameroonian government calling the 47 “terrorists” and said they would “answer for their crimes”.
According to the UN; “Their forcible return is in violation of the principle of non-refoulement, which constitutes the cornerstone of international refugee law.

“UNHCR reminds Nigeria of its obligations under international and Nigerian law, and urges the Nigerian Government to refrain from forcible returns of Cameroonian asylum-seekers back to their country of origin,” the UN body said.