September 23, (THEWILL) – The House of Representatives has asked the Federal Government to secure the release of Nigerians being held illegally in prisons abroad.
The development followed a motion raised at Plenary on Thursday by Dennis Idahosa, on the need to ascertain the actual number of Nigerians detained in foreign prisons.
In moving the motion, Idahosa drew the attention of his colleagues to the International Conventions and Treaties which prescribed that anyone charged with a criminal offence was entitled to a fair hearing, within a reasonable time by an independent and impartial tribunal established by law.
According to him, the World Bank estimated remittances of around 24.3 billion per year and six percent of the country’s GDP, thereby making Nigeria one of the highest-ranking countries of the world in remittances inflow.
“Cognisant that the remittances of Nigerians living abroad have been of significant impact in the development and economic growth of the country;
“Concerned about reports that many Nigerians are languishing in foreign prisons, some of whom are being illegally detained, while some are exposed to labour exploitation, poor living conditions, discrimination, sex exploitation and other forms of dehumanizing treatments;
“Worried that from a 2019 survey report by the Legal Defence and Assistance Project (LEPAD), about 16,500 Nigerians who are in prisons outside the country were convicted without legal representation and not knowing why they are in jail”, the lawmaker said.
He believes the Federal Government needs to employ diplomatic means to assist Nigerians wrongly convicted and being detained in various prisons abroad.
Adopting the resolution, the House urged the Federal Government to intervene and secure the release of Nigerians being held illegally in prisons abroad.
The House also resolved to mandate the House Committees on Foreign Affairs, Justice and Inter-Parliamentary Relations, to ensure compliance with the resolution.
