FORMER Liberian President, Mr. Charles Taylor may have begun preparations for his proposed extradition home asabout 20 of his relations and aides have left Calabar.
Already, the federal government is putting finishing touches to the extradition, which may take place any moment from now. Also, high level consultations are currently on with Taylor, the Cross River State Governor Donald Duke, President Olusegun Obasanjo, the Liberian government and the international community.
As part of the preparations, some members of his family and associates on Tuesday boarded an ADC airline with heavy luggage to an unknown destination en-route Lagos. One of Taylor's close aides popularly known as Banana, was seen at the airport on Tuesday with his wife and some luggage checking out of Calabar.
Same day, a presidential aircraft marked 5NFGO brought Taylor back from Abuja in the evening. He was accompanied by security men and was immediately driven off the airport to his Solomon Umohs Asylum residence at Diamond Hill.
The presidential aircraft did not leave the Margaret Ekpo International Airport until Wednesday evening with just two passengers suspected to be top government officials. The same Wednesday, the former ruler's jaguar saloon car marked 81-CD-85 picked one unknown passenger at the airport and drove straight to his residence.
The presence of the presidential aircraft at the Calabar airport for more than 24 hours without the president's or top Federal government presence was unusual.
Sources disclosed that the former president has put in order all his cars in preparation for his departure. But it is still uncertain whether he will dispose of some of the cars. Security at his residence has, however, continued to be normal except for the addition of some personnel and the usual restriction of movements.
As usual, top government officials including Governor Donald Duke have remained mum over the Taylor issue directing all enquiries to Abuja. The Liberian President, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf had last week requested for his return and the Federal government disclosed that it was consulting with African leaders on the matter. Taylor has been in Calabar on asylum since 2002.
Meanwhile, a group, the Campaign Against Impunity, yesterday in Lagos urged President Obasanjo to promptly comply with Johnson-Sirleaf's request for Taylor to face trial at the Special Court for Sierra Leone. The group also hailed President Johnson-Sirleaf's move on Taylor.
Its members gathered to mark the 15th year of the devastating armed conflict in Sierra Leone, which began on March 23, 1991, when rebel groups launched a cross-border attack from Liberia on a small village in the Kailahun district. The Director of the Centre for Democratic Empowerment in Liberia, Ezekiel Pajibo said it was expedient for Nigeria to hand over Taylor for trial.
"President Johnson-Sirleaf has taken a crucial stand against impunity in Africa by requesting Taylor's surrender," Pajibo said.
Members of the group yesterday also met in Monrovia, Liberia and Freetown, Sierra Leone, to press for Taylor's surrender to the Special Court. Johnson-Sirleaf, again, made the call on Tuesday when she visited the United States.
According to Reuters, she said the decision on whether to hand Taylor over to a special United Nations court to face war crimes charges was in the hands of African leaders like Obasanjo.
Taylor is considered to be Liberia's worst human rights offender. Nigeria acted with the support of the United States, the African Union and other actors in the international community in taking Taylor in as a temporary measure to secure a peaceful transition in Liberia.
The former warlord has been indicted on 17 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity for his role in the armed conflict that lasted from 1991 to 2002. The crimes include killings, mutilations, rape and other forms of sexual violence, sexual slavery, the recruitment and use of child soldiers, abduction, and the use of forced labour by armed opposition groups.
Johnson-Sirleaf said many Liberians were tired of war but Taylor still wielded influence in the West African country.
"Liberia believes this matter ought to be brought to a close, that we want to get on with the business of pursuing our development agenda and responding to the needs of our people," Johnson-Sirleaf told the United States Council on Foreign Relations.
Speaking in turn, Shina Loremikan, director of programmes for the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, a Nigerian organisation that is also part of the campaign said: "Now President Obasanjo must demonstrate that he too cares about justice on the continent by handing Taylor over to the Special Court."
President Obasanjo has resisted surrendering Taylor to the Special Court and has indicated, however, that he would consider returning him to Liberia upon a request from a duly elected Liberian government. Accordingly, Johnson-Sirleaf made a request to Obasanjo, a move publicised on March 17.
Sulaiman Jabati, the executive secretary of the Sierra Leonean Coalition for Justice and Accountability, said: "How many years must the victims keep waiting to see justice done?" He added: "It is time for Taylor to face trial for his alleged crimes."
The Campaign Against Impunity urged African leaders to give this commitment meaning by ensuring that Taylor is surrendered to the Special Court. It is a coalition of some 300 African and international civil society groups formed to ensure the surrender of Taylor to the Special Court.