Skip to main content
U.S. flag
An official website of the United States government    Here's how you know
Español
Multilingual Resources
Official Government Website

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure Website

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( A locked padlock ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Seal, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
 
Sign In  
Access USCIS online services.
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
Sign In
Create Account
  • Topics

    • Family

      • Family of Green Card Holders (Permanent Residents)
      • Family of Refugees and Asylees
      • Family of U.S. Citizens
    • Adoption

      • Before You Start
      • Immigration through Adoption
    • Military

      • Citizenship for Military Family Members
      • Naturalization Through Military Service
    • Humanitarian

      • Humanitarian Parole
      • Refugees and Asylum
      • Temporary Protected Status
    • Visit the U.S.

      • Change My Nonimmigrant Status
      • Extend Your Stay
    • Working in the United States

      • Permanent Workers
      • Temporary (Nonimmigrant) Workers
    • Avoid Scams

      • Common Scams
      • Find Legal Services
      • Report Immigration Scams
    • Careers at USCIS

      • Career Opportunities
      • Special Hiring Programs
  • Forms

    • Most Accessed Forms

      • I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status
      • I-765, Application for Employment Authorization
      • I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card (Green Card)
      • N-400, Application for Naturalization
    • All Forms

    • File Online

    • Family Based Forms

      • I-129F, Petition for Alien Fiancé(e)
      • I-130, Petition for Alien Relative
      • I-360, Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrant
      • I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative
      • I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence
    • Employment Based Forms

      • I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification
      • I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker
      • I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers
      • I-526, Immigrant Petition by Standalone Investor
      • I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status
    • Humanitarian Based Forms

      • I-134A, Online Request to be a Supporter and Declaration of Financial Support
      • I-589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal
      • I-730, Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition
      • I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status
  • Newsroom

    • All News

      • Alerts
      • Fact Sheets
      • News Releases
    • Media Contacts

    • Multimedia Gallery

    • Social Media Directory

    • Speeches, Statements, Testimony

  • Citizenship

    • Learners

      • Apply for Citizenship
      • Learn About Citizenship
      • Naturalization Test and Study Resources
    • Educators

      • Educational Products for Educators
      • Resources for Educational Programs
      • Teacher Training Sessions
    • Organizations

      • Outreach Tools
      • Civic Integration
      • Interagency Strategy for Promoting Naturalization
      • Naturalization-Related Data and Statistics
    • Grants

      • Learn About the Citizenship and Integration Grant Program
      • Success Stories from Grant Recipients
  • Green Card

    • Green Card Processes and Procedures

      • Adjustment of Status
      • After We Grant Your Green Card
      • Employment Authorization Document
      • Visa Availability and Priority Dates
    • Green Card Eligibility Categories

    • How to Apply for a Green Card

    • Replace Your Green Card

    • While Your Green Card Application Is Pending with USCIS

  • Laws

    • Legislation

      • Immigration and Nationality Act
    • Class Action, Settlement Notices and Agreements

    • Unlawful Presence and Inadmissibility

    • Policy Manual

    • Regulations

    • Administrative Appeals

  • Tools

    • Self-Help Tools

      • Check Case Processing Times
      • Case Status Online
      • Change of Address
      • E-Request
      • Password Resets and Technical Support
    • Website Resources

      • Archive
      • A-Z Index
      • Website Policies
    • Additional Resources

      • Explore my Options
      • Immigration and Citizenship Data
      • Multilingual Resource Center
      • USCIS Tools and Resources
  • Contact us
  • Multilingual Resources
Main navigation
Skip to main content
  • Archive
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. Archive
  3. Resource Information Center: Nigeria

Resource Information Center: Nigeria

Archived Content

The information on this page is out of date. However, some of the content may still be useful, so we have archived the page.

Nigeria

Response to Information Request Number: NGA98001.ZLA
Date: 14 April 1998
Subject: MAD, Arrests of political opponents following the death of Ibrahim Abacha
From: INS Resource Information Center, Washington, DC
Keywords: MAD / Ibrahim Abacha / Political Group / Opposition Group / Terrorist / Terrorism

 

Query:

 

  • Please provide any information on the political opposition group, or groups, known by the acronym MAD. Please provide information on whether there is more than one group known by the acronym MAD in Nigeria.
    • Were members of MAD, or any other opposition groups, arrested in connection with the death of Ibrahim Abacha?

    Response:

    Information on the existence of more than one political opposition group, that is known by the acronym MAD, could not be found among the sources consulted by the INS Resource Information Center. However, several media reports indicate the existence of another political opposition group that goes by the acronym of MADA. Information on these groups is provided below.

    Movement for the Advancement of Democracy (MAD)

    A group known as the Movement for the Advancement of Democracy (MAD) came onto the political scenery in the void following the annulment of the June 1993 elections. MAD’s leader, Maalam Jerry Yusuf, has presented himself as a savior of the Nigerian masses, which Yusuf asserts have been doomed to a life of poverty due to government corruption. (Agence France Press 28 October 1993) Mr. Yusef is from the state of Kwara, and is the first person in modern Nigerian history from outside the ruling political and military elite to proclaim a messianic role (Agence France Presse 30 October 1993; Agence France Press 28 October 1993). Born in 1952 in Offa in central Nigeria, he studied at hardline Islamic universities before joining the army. He lived in Germany from 1973-1977 and became a businessman trading mainly in cocoa. (Agence France Press 28 October 1993) MAD had sought support from the Campaign for Democracy (CD), an umbrella movement for 40 human rights and pro-democracy organizations; however, their request for CD membership was turned down (Agence France Press 26 October 1993).

    The Movement for the Advancement of Democracy (MAD), claimed responsibility for the hijacking of a Nigeria Airways plane in October 1993. In an interview, the group’s leader, Mr. Yusef, stated that his mission was to "terrorise the few people who have terrorised us politically and economically (in order) to recover the money stolen from us." Mr. Yusef stated that he was motivated by a spiritual force. (Agence France Press 30 October 1993) The Movement’s grievances that led to the hijacking included the alleged looting of the Nigerian treasury by highly placed persons which has resulted in deprivation to a large segment of the population (Agence France Presse 27 October 1993). Nigerian police arrested three persons suspected of planning the hijacking. The arrests were made in Ilorin, the capital of the central state of Kwara, and the home state of MAD leader Maalam Jerry Yusuf. One of the suspects arrested was the legal advisor to MAD. (Agence France Presse 30 October 1993)

    Movement for the Advancement of Democracy in Africa (MADA)

    Initial reports assumed that MAD was a radical offshoot of the Movement for the Advancement of Democracy in Africa (MADA). The Nigerian newspaper The Guardian indicated that MAD and MADA were two completely different organizations. The leader of MADA, C.J. Ejorh, condemned the October 1993 highjacking by MAD. (Agence France Press 27 October 1993) Other than this reference, no further information on the group MADA was found among the sources contacted.

    Specific information regarding arrests of MAD members, or members of political opposition groups, in connection with the January 1996 death of Ibrahim Abacha could not be found among the sources contacted by the INS Resource Information Center. However, the following summarizes information located on the circumstances surrounding the death of Ibrahim Abacha.

    The Death of Ibrahim Abacha

    Ibrahim Abacha, son of Sani Abacha, was killed in a plane crash 17 January 1996. The group "United Front for Nigeria’s Liberation" (UFNL) claimed responsibility for the crash. No other group claimed responsibility or was charged with having a role in the plane crash. Africa Confidential states that many of the claims of responsibility are exaggerated and that it is likely that the crash was caused by an engine fire. The engine fire could have been the result of sabotage or the result of fuel contamination. The claims of the group UFNL were not taken seriously. The death of a politician or their families is often considered to be some type of conspiracy. (Africa Confidential 2 February 1996) A team was set up to determine if there were any links between bomb blasts that occurred around the time of the plane crash and the plane crash itself, however, no relationship was found (The Week 6 January 1997). Investigations into the crash by the Federal Aviation Authority of Nigeria and ten military officers ruled out sabotage as the cause of the crash (Nigeria Today 17 January 1997). The Government briefly detained the editor of the newspaper Daily Champion and the editorial staff of The Guardian newspapers over reports in their newspapers that the Directorate of Military Intelligence had ruled out sabotage in the presidential plane crash (Country Reports 1996 1997, 217).

    References:

    Africa Confidential. 2 February 1996, Volume 37, No. 3, 1.

    Africa News Service. 8 November 1996. Paul Ejime. "141 Feared Dead in Nigerian Plane Crash. "

    Agence France Presse. 26 October 1993.

    27 October 1993. "Radical group Claims Hijack."

    27 October 1993.

    28 October 1993.

    30 October 1993. "Three Suspects Arrested as Police Hunt Hijack Plotters."

    Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1996. 1995. United Stated Department of State. Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office.

    The Week. 6 January 1997. Joe Adiorho. "Year of the Terrorist: Bomb Blasts, Assassinations and Plane Disasters Make 1996 the Year Nigerians Would Like to Forget."

    Xinhua English Newswire. 17 December 1996. "Nigeria’s Public Service Arouses Concern."

    APS Review Downstream Trends. 22 September 1997. Nigeria: Profile - General Sani Abacha.

    Other Sources Checked:

    Abel, David L. Desk Officer, U.S. Department of State. Telephone Interview. 6 April 1998.

    Kundiff, Karl. Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, U.S. Department of State. Telephone Interview. 6 April 1998.

    Lexis/Nexis

    Manby, Bronwyn. Nigeria Researcher, Human Right Watch, London. [Internet]. 7 April 1998

    Nigeria News. "Nigeria on the Net." [Internet] <URL: Nigeria.com.news> [Accessed on - 6 April 1998].

    The Resource Information Center Library

    Westlaw

    Last Reviewed/Updated:
    10/14/2015
    Was this page helpful?
    0 / 2000
    To protect your privacy, please do not include any personal information in your feedback. Review our Privacy Policy.
    Return to top
    • Topics
    • Forms
    • Newsroom
    • Citizenship
    • Green Card
    • Laws
    • Tools
    U.S. Department of Homeland Security Seal, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
    Facebook
    Twitter
    YouTube
    Instagram
    LinkedIn
    Email
    Contact USCIS
    U.S. Department of Homeland Security Seal
    Agency description

    USCIS.gov

    An official website of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security

    Important links
    • About USCIS
    • Accessibility
    • Budget and Performance
    • DHS Components
    • Freedom of Information Act
    • No FEAR Act Data
    • Privacy and Legal Disclaimers
    • Site Map
    • Office of the Inspector General
    • The White House
    • USA.gov
    Looking for U.S. government information and services?
    Visit USA.gov