The maltreatment of some Nigerian immigrants in foreign countries may have finally start to attract the attention of relevant government agencies in Abuja.
Barely a month after the House of Representative Committee on Diaspora expressed strong reservation over the death of a Nigerian in Poland, the committee chairperson, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa has once again expressed concern on the possibility of more Nigerians being executed abroad if government continues to remain silence on their plights.
At an event held in Abuja on Wednesday to profile 50 Nigerian legislative icons, Hon Dabiri-Erewa reacted to the execution of 19 Nigerians in Libya on Sunday, and faulted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for its silence over the matter. She decried the lukewarm attitude of the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Ojo Maduekwe on issues that concern the Nigerian diaspora.
Hon. Dabiri-Erewa who was one of the honoured lawmakers at the event said the committee once called the attention of the foreign ministry to the ordeal of Nigerians in Libyan prisons, but with little or no success - “It is very sad. You remember that we brought this in the front burner of the nation’s discuss sometime ago. We raised an alarm that Nigerians were about to be executed in Libya; the Foreign Affairs Ministry then said oh, it is not true, but we persisted and we got them back.” According to the lawmaker, she regularly receives text messages from Nigerians in prisons abroad.
“This is another batch that has been executed and another batch would be executed. It is like a quarterly thing if we do not do something. We need to bring back our Charge de Affairs in Libya; we need to go there and make strong presentation.
According to the lawmakers, if Nigerians keep quiet, more Nigerians will be killed.
Meanwhile, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to invite the Libyan Ambassador to Nigeria for questioning on the recent execution of some Nigerians on death row in the North African country.
The organisation is also calling on Jonathan put in place measures to investigate the reported execution of the Nigerians and their counterparts from other African countries on Sunday.
SERAP further urged Jonathan to call for an extraordinary session of the African Union Assembly to deliberate on the execution of the Nigerians and nationals of other African countries in Libya as a strategic way of addressing the recurrent incident.
SERAP had petitioned Jonathan through its lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, to express deep worry over the recent executions.
The Executive Director of SERAP, Mr. Adetokunbo Mumuni, quoted Falana has having said in the petition that while the number of Nigerians executed was not clear, more than 200 people were listed for execution in Libya.
Falana also described the executions as acts of murder committed against nationals of African countries in spite of a directive by the African Commission on Human and Peoples rights that the execution be put on hold pending the determination of SERAP’s objection on the issue.
“And that was why we did what we did and brought those people back.”
“Apart from bringing those 21 back, we got a lot of them deported to Nigeria, but since then, there was no follow up from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“If that follow up is not there, I can assure you that in another few months more will be killed and it is not new, it has been happening but when the Committee in Diaspora raised the alarm, the Ministry said oh don’t mind them, but it turned that it was actually true.”
She added what we needed to do was that we must ensure that we protect our citizens saying that no matter the situation, they don’t deserve to be killed in any way.
“If they commit an offence they are supposedly to be sent back to their country. Most of these things are immigration matters.
“Also of importance is that we have to holistically look at why Nigerians are leaving in droves. We have been talking about Libya. In Cairo, we have several of them in prisons; we still have the cases in Indonesia.
“So, as a nation we need to take a holistic look at these things. We have one in Poland, another one in Switzerland , Malaysia and more will soon happen,” she added.
Ref: Punch
This kind of news is so repulsive .I feel like puking ewww !Why do we have a Nigerian Embassy in Libya . if our citizens cannot be shielded from some blood thirsty Countries who are trigger happy to take Nigerian lives.Another African country for that matter!If we don’t care about our fellow Nigerians why should they care?Granted that this individuals could have commited a crime or violated some regulations or broken some laws.Death is not always the solution.We should start a movement to eradicate Capital punishment in Africa.It is a barbaric practice that needs to be done away with totally.We have cases in the US when people convicted to die have been found innocent through DNA and later set free from death row,after many harrowing years in prison.
For every one that was later released think of several others who have been wrongly executed.Nigerian missions abroad should be more proactive.They should get involved with the court systems in foreign countries and come to the aid of Nigerians.Each time a Nigerian is killed abroad ,it is a slap on the face of ALL OF US.This is a serious issue and should be approached in an urgent and timely fashion.Enough already is enough.
This is unfortunate, where is the government tagged “a representative government”? This is an indication of personal representative than general representative of the masses. The government MUST leave up to it’s responsibility of protecting Nigerians both home and abroad.
The two comments from Jimaza and Deji are just what every Nigerian would say to the world. Thanks to the group struggling to get them out. We as Nigerians living in other countries should try to obey the laws of other countries. Let us try to know the laws of the country we trying to go, but the unfortunate thing with us including me is that majority of us do not know or respect the word “Rules and Regulations”
May their blood be on our irresponsible Govt or Leaders not the Libyans. If our country is good enough, no one will prefer refugee status elsewhere. Shame to our selfish Leaders
Its a pity that citizen of a country like Nigeria will be executed just like a chicken and nothing will ever happen.What are the duty of our Ambassador in those country where are citizen were been murder and what is the duty of our foreign affair minster?Can any country kill the citizen of a country like Pakistan,Libya,Indonesia,Lebanon,Syrian,Iran e.t.c despite the fact of their terrorist activity? “NO” Why because the Government of those country value their citizen and stand up for them no matter the circumstances.Its a shame for the Government of Nigeria,our fellow country men will be killed outside the country and we will designated our security forces to guide the foreign citizen living in in Nigeria.Anyway,i don’t blame them,what do you expect,when you have people that were to be stoned to death in the public square occupied Government institution.I look forward till the date Nigeria will be Broken to up and then it will e easy to hold any government official who fails in duty accountable.If all mighty Russia,Czechoslovakia,Yugoslavia e.t.c could broken up,while wont that also happen in Nigeria because everybody is tired and depressed
CHARITY THEY SAID BEGINS AT HOME,SO AS THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT TAKE CARE OF THEIR CITIZENS AT HOME SO THEY DO ALSO ABROAD.I WONDER WHAT NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT CAN DO FOR THOSE LIVING ABROAD IF THEY CANT PROVIDE PROTECTION AND CARE FOR THOSE LIVING BACK HOME.I WAS BORN AND RAIZED IN NIGERIA,FROM THE DAY I WAS BORN TILL I LEFT NIGERIA I DIDNT BENEFIT OR GAIN ANYTHING FROM NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT.I DIDNT GET FREE EDUCATION FROM THEM,MY PARENTS PAID FOR MY PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL FEES,THEY CANT EVEN PROVIDE ANY SPORTS,ART,MUSIC ETC FACITLITIES FOR ME TO HARNESS MY GOD’S GIVING TALENT,THEY DIDNT EVEN PROVIDE LIGHT,WATER,GOOD ROAD AND OTHER SOCIAL AND BASIC AMENITIES.IF AN AMERICAN,BRITIAN,FRANCE,GHANA,SOUTH AFRICA,MOROCCO,SAUDI ARABIA AND OTHER COUNTRIES CITIZEN HAVE PROBLEM IN ANOTHER COUNTRY THE PERSON WILL CONTACT HIS OR HER EMBASSY AND THE EMBASSY OFFICIAL WILL ARRIVE THERE TO ASSIST THE PERSON.BUT IN NIGERIA EMABSSY THEY CAN ONLY HELP IN SOMETHINGS THAT CAN ONLY FETCH THEM MONEY LIKE EMERGENCY TRAVEL CLEARANCE(T.C),DOCUMENTS TO FACILITATE UR MARRIAGE IN FOREIGN COUNTRY THAT ONE LIVES BCOS U MUST PAY FOR IT.29 NIGERIANS WAS ARRESTED,DETAINED AND PERSECUTED IN POLAND AFTER THEY DEMOSTRATED FOR KILLING ONE OF THEIR OWN BY THE POLICE,THEY APPROACHED THE EMBASSY FOR ASSISTANT,THE(EMBASSY) SIMPLY TOLD THEM THAT THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO ABOUT THAT,THAT THEY SHOULD DO WHAT EVER THE POLICE TOLD THEM TO DO.THOSE GUYS PASSPORT WAS CEASED,WAS ASKED NOT TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY,AND TO BE REPORTING TO THE POLICE STATION TWICE A WEEK.AM ONE OF THOSE THAT LOST HOPE IN NIGERIA ENTITY.
It is dishearten to note that our Nigerian citizens abroad are being killed with out regards to our grate Nation (Nigeria) just because our Leaders are less concern and selfish, can Italian man be killed anywhere without reaction from Italian Government? Can American citizens be killed without a reaction from Pentagon? Can Libya kill Israeli citizen while in prison and go free? These people killing our brothers abroad will come to Nigeria and our Leaders will lodge them in the best Hotel, give them our girls and keep Police outside to guide them. Every white man that comes to Nigeria, our Leaders calls him Engineer, even illiterates carpenters, plumbers and brick layers are made Managers in our multi National companies while Nigerian Graduates who are opportune to secure a job under them do the jobs. These our brothers being killed some of them are graduate, just because no job opportunity, they decided to go abroad for greener pasture, seeing them with a girl they arrest, put in prison, subsequently killed. Create a job for the youth, empower them there will be less exodus.
please who are these nigerians in govt who tk money frm eurpeans to always bring nigerians back hme. nigerians are the oly peple sufferig this abroad. put an end to this as nigerians abrad are crying out
May God Almighty safe & deliver us from our govt that has no value of life for Nigerian citizens at home & abroad because if they do, they would have done something important before now & they are the one that spoil their own reputations abroad. GOD SAFE NIGERIAN
Libyan Govt have blood on their hands. Nigeria Govt must do everything in their capacity to protest this barbaric acts by all these Countries that have decided to be using Nigeria citizens as ‘happy trigger’ object of their gun practices. Nigeria Govt must put pressure on any of the Countries that have breach UN human rights treaty and if need be that Nigeria Govt call back their Diplomats until their grievances are dealt with satisfactorily. Regards