According to Amnesty, there remain 120 political prisoners in the country, including five journalists and 20 youths who were imprisoned for celebrating Abacha's death. A lot has changed in Nigeria in the past year. It was Abiola's democratic election to the presidency that Abacha overthrew in 1993. This is occurring to the extent that we now have guarantees in place for individual expression and group action. The press no longer lives under the fear of harassment to the degree that was the case over the last four years.
Editors can hope to sleep at home without fear.
Yet, he feels genuine democratization, which he distinguishes from liberalization, is yet to be realized and he fears that current changes are easily reversible. He would like to see both the internal opposition in Nigeria and the international community capitalize on current developments toward real change. A return to Nigeria is in his future. Admission is free and all are welcome. The new posting gives Mr. Davis operational responsibility for the Co-Ed facility, which consists of the women's prison and the senior training school, and currently houses 38 inmates.