VIC ALLEN ON TRIAL by Ian Macdonald
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meagre coverage has been given in the British press to the tria ia Vie Allen. Many socialists sie ca eS ee he unaware of its significance. The Nigerian trade or ~ ee much harried by the Government. Dr. Allen, who is senior lec rer pave Rapes
e University of Leeds and a specialist in trade union st Sy sean ieee for some ane collecting material and interviewing _— aogier In June he was in Nigeria at the time of the general strike in tha coun a 4 was arrested together with leading Nigerian trade unionists. He ——— Ze with conspiracy and sedition. The motives of the authorities are ge Os strangle militancy in the unions and to link labour unrest in Nigeria outside agitation.
The trial itself has been in progress for more than two monthse sone half the prosecution's case so far has been taken up with arguments and a relating to the admissibility of a statement made to the police by one oO e accused, Sidi Khayam, an official of a Nigerian dockworkers' union. Defence Counsel contended that the statement was not admissible “because it was not voluntary" ( Daily Times, Lagos, July 18). On August 18 the magistrates ruling on this important question was given in favour of the prosecution and in a letter written on the same day to a friend in England Allen said: "From my _own observations and experiences I knew the police were lying yet the magistrate went out of his way to say that he beldeved as true the very things I knew were lies...I lost all faith in the court and now expect the worst." In another letter three weeks earlier Allen had described a visit to the British High Commissioner "I put to him details concerning bribery - said there was strong evidence that he (the magistrate) had actually accepted a bribe as well as having had the government instructions...said he could do nothing about the matter,"
The Lagos Daily Times has reported that both Sid Khayam and Allen had made statements and that these statements had been extracted from them by a white South African named Ceulman employed by the special branch of the Nigerian CID. On July 25 the Daily Times said that Khayam alleged that Ceulman "threate ened him and told him he was capable of doinganything to get information from prisoners" and on August 28 that "Dr, Allen said Ceulman had told him that if he made the statement he would not be tortured." Allen himself gave details of his three-day interrogation during evidence on August 27: "Ceulman, in “particular, asked questions and gave himself his own answerseeehe tried to separate me from what he called my accomplices and to get me to incriminate them...eHe appealed to me as a European, he said I should neither trust nor associate myself with Nigerians because he said Nigerians are only one stage removed from savagery, they still eat human flesh and they like it fresh. He advised me to make a statement incriminating other people, Nigerians, and he made specific promises to me that would be carried out if I did so..,"
The trial is continuing and may be very lengthy = The Week will be carry= ing further reports, Meanwhile Vic Allen and his fellow-accused desperately need support - political, financial and moral. Resolutions should be sent to the Nigerian High Commissioner in London (9, Northumberland Avenue, W.C. 2); money direct to Vic Allen, c/o, Barclay's Bank, DCO, 40, Marina, Lagos, Nigeria, and messages of support (these he does want) to Vic Allen, c/o Office of United Kingdom High Commissioner, Lagos, Nigeria,