Help Free Professor Solomon Tarfa from Unlawful Detention
Help Free Professor Solomon Tarfa from Unlawful Detention
Why this petition matters
Professor Solomon Tarfa is a co-proprietor of Du Merci Children Development Ministry duly registered and operates an orphanage with about 32 children ages 6 months to 30 years well catered and cared for. In 2002 Professor Tarfa and his wife were falsely accused of operating an illegal orphanage and tried in their living room by a juvenile court. During the hearing in their home, they were questioned as to why they will establish a Christian orphanage in Kano State, convicted and sentenced to 2 years imprisonment but eventually released following the order of a High Court that quashed their conviction.
The orphanage home was raided again in December 2019 by the Nigeria Police, the children confiscated to a government-owned home in Kano while Prof Tarfa was arrested and unlawfully held at Kano Central Prison, Kurmawa. He was given very strict bail conditions which have been difficult to meet and attempt to apply for review was unsuccessful. He has been in prison for 293 days without justice, denied access to his family bringing him food, threatened by prison officials of continued detention, and has been at risk of COVID 19 due to conditions in the prison.
The cases in court for his release has suffered several setbacks from Judges' absence to frivolous adjournments. Recently lawyers demanded a hearing date again which was fixed for 15 October 2020, the Judge claimed she will be on leave. A few days ago she returned the case file to the Chief Judge Kano State High Court for reassignment recusing herself from the case.
It is learned that the Chief Judge has proceeded on leave without having assigned the case.
Decision-Makers
- UK Parliament
- Mike Pompeo
- Mike PenceUS Vice President
- Mr. Eamon GilmoreEU Special Representative for Human Rights
- UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention