Nigeria Springs Taylor
Charles Johnson
Tue Mar 28, 2006 at 8:13 am PST • Views: 289
Former Liberian dictator Charles Taylor has been allowed to escape from house arrest by Nigeria: Ex-Liberian President Taylor Disappears. (Hat tip: Doss.)
ABUJA, Nigeria - Former Liberian President Charles Taylor disappeared from his Nigerian haven, days after his hosts agreed to transfer him to a war crimes tribunal for the murder, rape and maiming of more than a half-million Africans, officials said Tuesday.
The announcement of Taylor’s disappearance came the day before Nigerian leader Olusegun Obasanjo was to meet with President Bush at the White House.
That visit was supposed to occur on a high note after Obasanjo resolved two issues of concern to his U.S. allies — Monday’s release of kidnapped American oil workers and last week’s deal to hand over Africa’s most infamous warlord.
But Taylor vanished Monday night from his villa in the southern town of Calabar, the government said. A presidential spokeswoman said members of Taylor’s Nigerian security detail had been arrested.
Ever-ready UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has already sprung into action.
“We are trying to get more facts about it,” Annan told reporters at U.N. headquarters in New York. “It would be extremely worrying if indeed he had disappeared because the Nigerian government had indicated it will cooperate with his transfer to Liberia and to the court.”
Frank says: