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Nigeria: The existence of a human rights organization or student-based organization known as "Nigeria Grassroot Humanright Activist Organization (NGHRO) in Lagos," NAGHO or NAGO, including information on its executives in 2004 and 2005

Information on the existence of a human rights organization or student-based organization known as "Nigeria Grassroot Humanright Activist Organization (NGHRO) in Lagos," NAGHO, or NAGO could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. However, an 11 March 2006 article in This Day, a "[l]eading independent daily published in Lagos, Nigeria" (AllAfrica n.d.), makes reference to an organization called the "Nigeria Grassroot Human Rights Organisation (NGHRO)." The article reports that a Lagos family informed the media that their two sons had "disappeared ... after [a] series of threats on their lives by a vigilante group and harassment by the police" (This Day 11 Mar. 2006). Cited in the article, the head of the family indicated that the two men, Prince Olufemi Emmanuel Oshodi and Olarewaju Alexender Oshodi, as well as some student union members of post-secondary educational institutions in the southwest of Nigeria, had established a human rights organization called "Nigeria Grassroot Human Rights Organisation (NGHRO)" (ibid.). According to the head of the family, the NGHRO was established "to mobilise students against police brutality, extra-judicial killings and violence by armed vigilante groups" (ibid.). Student members of the organization reportedly "went under its cover to fight secret cults on campuses" (ibid.). Information on the executives of the NGHRO could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. Information corroborating the existence of the NGHRO could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

In 17 January 2006 correspondence sent to the Research Directorate, a representative of Human Rights and Justice Group International (HRJGI), a Lagos non-governmental organization (NGO) that networks with international NGOs and Nigerian grassroots organizations (HRJGI n.d.), stated that

I wish to humbly inform you that I have not heard, seen nor come across ... ["Nigeria Grassroot Humanright Activist Organization (NGHRO)"] before. I have been in human rights work in Nigeria for over 10 years and have not heard of this name before. Also all inquiries from other organisations show that they are not known if [the organization] is at all in existence.

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

AllAfrica. N.d. "Content Providers." <http://allafrica.com/publishers.html> [Accessed 15 Jan. 2007]

Human Rights and Justice Group International (HRJGI). 17 January 2006. Correspondence from a representative.
_____. N.d. "About Us." <http://justicegroup.org/about.htm> [Accessed 17 Jan. 2007]

This Day [Lagos]. 11 March 2006. Ben Nwabuwe. "Family Raises Alarm Over Sons' Whereabouts." (Factiva/All Africa)

Additional Sources Consulted

Oral sources: The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) did not provide information within the time constraints of this Response.

Internet sites, including: AllAfrica, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), The Danish Centre for Human Rights, European Country of Origin Information Network (ecoi.net), Factiva, Human Rights and Justice Group International (HRJGI), Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN), Kabissa, Lagos State University, Motherlandnigeria.com, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), University of Lagos.