Nigerians fill up foreign jails

  1. Posted on Friday 19 September 2008 - 11:20
    Lekan
    Image of Lekan
    Lekan Otufodunrin, AfricaNews reporter in Lagos, Nigeria
    The growing number of Nigerians being sentenced to death abroad for various offences is worrying to the National Human Rights Commission of Nigeria. It has asked the government to adopt measures to check it. 10 Nigerians are on death roll in Indonesia for alleged drug-related offences.
    jail
    11 others have been sentenced to flogging and various jail terms in connection with a murder case in Saudi Arabia. The NHRC’s Chief Public Affairs Officer, Lambert Oparah, said the trend was a disgrace.

    “This situation should be a source of worry to the government and people of Nigeria whose image in the international community is further tarnished by these criminal activities, the situation is more worrisome as the victims of these unfortunate circumstances are Nigerians in their prime," it further said

    The federal government and other relevant authorities were urged to explore provisions in existing legal and international instruments to ensure the death sentences passed on Nigerians were converted to life imprisonment and the victims repatriated.

    To prevent the re-occurrence of the ugly trend, NHRC advised that the government should look at the circumstances which encouraged young Nigerians to abandon their fatherland to indulge in unwholesome activities.

    “The issue of the economic and social rights of Nigerians deserved to be given attention with a view to making provisions for all Nigerians to explore,” the Commission stated.

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