Charles Taylor's arrest drama

By Martin Plaut
BBC News

Charles Taylor is facing 17 counts of war crimes

The drama began on Monday night, when Charles Taylor went missing from the villa in which he was living in the southern Nigerian city of Calabar.

After some hesitation, the Nigerian authorities sounded the alarm, and on Tuesday ordered his arrest.

But it was only in the early hours of Wednesday that the first indication of Mr Taylor's whereabouts became clear.

Overnight, a four-wheel drive vehicle was seen at the isolated border crossing point at Gamboru-Ngala, on the Nigerian border with Cameroon.

Mysterious car

This is more than 1,000km (600 miles) from Calabar, and a traditional route through to Chad.

According to an eyewitness who saw the events unfold, some children began lifting the barrier which marks the border.

TAYLOR TIMELINE 1997: Elected Liberian president after leading rebellion 1991-2002: Alleged role in Sierra Leone's civil war June 2003: Arrest warrant issued by Sierra Leone tribunal August 2003: Begins exile in Nigeria after civil war at home March 2006: Detained by Nigeria while fleeing Q&A: Trying Charles Taylor Preacher, warlord, president

An official saw them, and began walking towards the vehicle.

At this point two men - the driver and an escort - sprang out, leapt over the barrier and escaped into Cameroon.

More security officials arrived, and are reported to have found three people in the car: a man, dressed in a flowing white robe, a woman and a child.

When the man got out, the eyewitness recognised him as Charles Taylor.

The former president was promptly arrested and taken in an armed convoy to the state capital, Maiduguri.

A presidential jet was waiting for him there, and Mr Taylor was taken aboard, with a military escort.