# Hama Amadou Is Jailed on His Return From Exile (14 November 2015)

URL: https://allhistories.com/niger/timeline/2015-hama-amadou-is-jailed-on-his-return-from-exile
Location: Niamey, Niger
Themes: main-event

On 14 November 2015 the opposition politician Hama Amadou, the former prime minister and speaker of the National Assembly, returned to Niamey from exile in France and was arrested at the airport. He was charged with involvement in an alleged baby-trafficking ring and imprisoned, while he argued that the case was politically motivated. He remained in jail through the 2016 election campaign. Amadou had left Niger in 2014 after prosecutors sought to question him, following a split with President Issoufou's coalition. His MODEN-Fa Lumana party joined the opposition and he stood as a candidate from prison. A court later gave him a sentence, and he was released in 2016 on medical grounds, though the government denied any political motives. He was among the best-known figures of the opposition. At the date of this event the principal authority over the largest part of present-day Niger, by the convention of this dataset, lay with Mahamadou Issoufou, President of the Republic (2011–2021). The government was headed by Prime Minister Brigi Rafini. The case illustrated tensions between the government and the main opposition during Issoufou's second election campaign. It also raised international concern about judicial independence and about the use of criminal charges against politicians. It also fuelled long-running debates on the independence of Niger's courts.

## Why it matters
It showed the political tension between the government and the main opposition.

Ruler at the Time: [Mahamadou Issoufou](https://allhistories.com/niger/rulers/mahamadou-issoufou-1993)

Prime Minister: Brigi Rafini

## Sources
- [Hama Amadou](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hama_Amadou)
- [Mahamadou Issoufou](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahamadou_Issoufou)
- [History of Niger](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Niger)