TIMIDRIA is an apolitical organisation of human rights defense specialised in fighting for the eradication of the phenmenon of slavery and all forms of discrimination in Niger.

"TIMIDRIA has a goal that is especially close to its heart, the fight for the eradication of slavery and the restoration of equality among the citizens of Niger. We were able to discuss issues such as the rights and responsibilities of citizens in a democratic context, disseminate information on human rights and awareness of the law 2003-25 of 13 June 2003 which criminalises slavery in Niger. A survey carried out in 2002 by our association identified more than 800,000 people living in slavery in Niger.

Thus, at the tour for civic education in ten camps of a nomadic group of Inatès, in Tillabery region, in October 2004, the head of the Inatès grouping, Mr Arissal Amdagh wrote to the office of Timidria that he intended to free more than 7,000 people. 7,000 people in his grouping, which has 23 tribes, which have a slave statute for most of them with the others living in slave conditions on a daily basis with their masters.

We made the trip to Inatès to meet with the leader, and obtained confirmation of its decision. Having met all the assurances, members of Timidria committed themselves to support an official ceremony for the liberation of 7,000 slaves in Inatès. At the time, as National Commissioner of Human Rights, as well as the Chairman of the Subcommittee for combating racial, ethnic and religious strife, CNDHLF (Commission Domestic Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms), I naturally shared this information with the President of this institution and the other members of the Subcommittee that I chaired.

In February 2005, everything is organised with the President of the CNDHLF which would organise the guests to attend of the ceremony. The first partner TIMIDRIA in this specific area, Anti-Slavery International in London, agreed to fund the cost of the ceremony. February 25, 2005 was chosen in agreement with all parties, the mayor of the rural municipality of Inatès and TIMIDRIA.

On February 05, 2005, the Chairman of the CNDHLF demanded that I meet with her and informed me that the Prime Minister, His Excellency Hama Amadou would like to take part in the festivities. However, he hopes to mandate a multidisciplinary investigation mission in Inatès to verify the facts. He expressed the hope that TIMIDRIA and Anti-Slavery International would fund this operation estimated at one million CFA.

We agreed to give this money; as our aim is to see 7,000 Nigerian people freed from their condition as slaves. The mission turned into a mission of intimidation and threats. The nomadic group of people who have always lived in slavery were informed that if, God forbid, they revealed the existence of slavery to foreigners, watch out! That speech was given in all camps of nomadic group of Inatès, in the presence of members of the pseudo-investigative mission.

The mission submitted a report. I was invited, as well as the representative of Anti-Slavery International to the presentation of this report in the presence of the President of the CNDHLF. The conclusion of the report stated that there were no slaves in Inatès and it should be forbidden under any circumstances to proceed with the ceremony of liberation of slaves scheduled for February 25, 2005. The famous report also proposed to dissolve TIMIDRIA and to arrest the President of BEN TIMIDRIA, Mr WEILA Ilguilas and the SGA of the section of Tillabéri, Mr Alassane BIGA.

I asked to speak and demolished the arguments put forward by the famous mission, using concrete, verifiable and unimpeachable facts in my speech. The report was classified, and as we have already pointed out, it was unfair and tendentious. The proposal to cancel the ceremony included in the report was accepted.

On 25 April 2005 the President of the Republic, Mamadou Tandja, influenced by his advisers and some officials of the ruling party MNSD, whose fief is the Tillabery region, having reported lies about me and my structure, asked the National Gendarmerie: “we must stop the leaders of TIMIDRIA and beat them.” Thus, on April 26, 2005, I was called by the head of the Territorial Brigade of the Gendarmerie in Niamey asking me to go to his office at 15:30hr with Alassane Biga. When we arrived, a warrant officer of the Gendarmerie Brigade informed us that we were under arrest,on a charge of "attempt of fraud and public forgery." That charge had no connection, at first glance, with the case of Inatès.

In custody, we found the Chief, the Mayor, a Counsellor and another native, all from Inatès. Our first six days of detention were punctuated by interrogation at any time of day or night. The four persons from Inatès were released. Alassane BIGA and I were brought to the Public Prosecutor before the Tribunal de Grande Instance of Niamey, which transferred us to the civilian prison in Niamey on May 2, 2005, without having any idea of what we were charged of. We were detained until 17 June 2005, when we received bail."