VICTOR ALLEN SENTENCED IN NIGERIA
‘Dr. "Vitor Leonard ‘Allen and three Nigerian defendants were convicted November 10 at Ikeja, Nigeria, on charges of "sedition" and sentenced to prison for one year at hard labor.
Dr. Allen, a senior lecturer in Industrial Seience ‘at the -University of Leeds. and a specialist in trade-union studies, was in Africa collecting material and interviewing trade-union leaders. His fellow defendants were Sidi Kharam and Jonas Kiomasekenagh Abam, both trade unionists, and Olushegun Adebayo, a teacher,
Chief Magistrate Ufnmilayo Wickliffe found the four defendants guilty on three separate charges: "conspiring" between March 1 and June 10 of ‘this. year to overthrow the Nigerian federal govern~ ment by subversive military means, drawing up a "plan" for the same purpose, and possessing a seditious publication setting out "plans" for the realization of the same’ unlawful purpose. De
The judge imposed four months! imprisonment with hard labour on-each count to run consecutively. Dr. Allen's counsél, Michael Odesanya,. announced that the verdict of the court will be appealed.
The political trial, which began July 1, was part of a nationwide witch-hunt staged by the Nigerian government as its response to a. general strike that swept the country in the first two weeks of - June. A number of arrests were made following the strike, inc Luding leading trade unionists. ae
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A CURTOUS. cRITICISN,
By Joseph: Hansen
The November 7 issue of The Newsletter, weekly: journal of the Socialist Labour League publishéd in London, carries an article © offering a