NEWS
Court Orders Foreign Ministry, NIDCOM to Return Nigerians Imprisoned in Ethiopia
A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Ministry of Foreign Affair and the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) to bring back no fewer than 270 Nigerians currently imprisoned or detained in Kaliti Prison, Ethiopia.
Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a judgment, gave the order of mandamus compelling the ministry and NIDCOM to receive and return the imprisoned Nigerians consequent upon the decision and declaration of the Ethiopian government that it had no budget to take care of them.
“I find that the applicants have made a credible case for this court to issue Order of Mandamus to compel the 1st and 2nd respondents to perform their statutory functions and I so hold,” Justice Ekwo ruled.
The applicants; Sunday Mmaduagwu, Henry Anyanwu and Leonard Okafor, had filed the originating motion on notice.
They had sued NIDCOM, Foreign Ministry, the Senate, House of Representatives, Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN) and the Attorney-General of Federation (AGF) as 1st to 6th respondents respectively, on behalf of Nigerians imprisoned in Ethiopia Prison.
The motion was brought pursuant to Order II, Rules 1, 2 & 3 of the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules, 2009 (hereinafter referred to as FREPR 2009) and Sections 6 (6), 34 (1), 35 (1), (4), and (6), 36 and 46 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
Also cited in the suit was Articles 4, 5 and 6 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act, Cap. A9, LFN 2004 (hereinafter referred to as ACHPRRE Act 2004) and under the inherent jurisdiction of this court.
They sought “a declaration that the fundamental rights of the applicants as provided by Sections 33, 34, 35 of the 1999 Constitution; Articles 2, 3, 5, 6, CAT — Articles 4 (1) & (15), Article 16 UNUDHR; Articles 3, 5, 6, 25 (1) & (2) BPT — General Assembly Resolution 45/11 of 14 Dec 1990 had been violated by the 1st — 4th respondents.
They sought an order compelling the 1st & 2nd respondents to receive and return back Nigerians imprisoned, detained in Kaliti Ethiopia prisons, consequent upon the decision and declaration of Ethiopian Government that they have no budget for their food, firewood, medicine and any other form of welfare and on the face of their call for Nigeria to take them back to Nigeria.”
In the affidavit in support of the motion, Mmaduagwu deposed that he is the first cousin of Mr. Remigius Anikwe, who was imprisoned at Kaliti Prison in Ethiopia.
He said Henry is a brother to Mr Chinedu Michael Anyanwu, who is also detained or imprisoned in Kaliti prison, while Leonard is a relative of Mr Okafor Livinus Edochie, who also is in detention in the same prison.
Mmaduagwu averred that since he arrived in the prison to see his cousin, he met over 270 Nigerians arrested and being detained.
He said some of the persons in the prison were not even tried as they do not understand the language and neither were they offered the services of an interpreter.
According to him, the treatment being given to Nigerians in detention are shocking as any exchange of words with the indigenes will attract mass beating, and this has led to the collapse and death of some.
“Some young Nigerians who were on transit with visa are reported to have been arrested, dispossessed of their money and valuable properties and false witnesses suborned to testify against them in a foreign language.
“Many are detained and denied the opportunity of proper hearing by any court and till date, they do not know the reason for their arrest.
“They are also denied access to their families, the outside world and even the services of a lawyer, making their family assume they are dead.
“Some of them had to admit offences they did not commit after prolonged torture by the prison officials,” Mmaduagwu said.
He alleged that NiDCOM, in a television interview, even stated that what the detained Nigerians in Kaliti Prison are given as food cannot be fed to rats.
He said the commission attested to the fact that they were not given any drugs for any form of sickness, except paracetamol, despite people suffering from kidney failure with swollen legs.
“A lot of them are dying and they were informed by the prison officials that the Ethiopian government has asked the Nigerian Embassy to come and take their people back having no budget to feed them and provide medical aid.
“Every week, about two or three deaths are recorded. They have not been buried neither have their corpse been brought to Nigeria,” he said.
Mmaduagwu, who said that all the respondents were aware of the citizens’ plights, urged the court to grant their reliefs.
Delivering the judgment on Nov. 14 and the certified true copy of the documents sighted on Tuesday, Justice Ekwo said he observed that the application was brought on behalf of Nigerian citizens detained and imprisoned abroad.
The judge held that the motives of the applicants were not unreasonable as it is rationally expected that a citizen of a country who is abroad and who needs the intervention of his/her country of origin will expect the requisite succour from the home country when occasion arises for such.
“The 1st and 2nd respondents cannot be allowed to argue their way out of their respective statutory functions,” he said.
He further held that the applicants had made a compelling case in the suit that Nigerian citizens who were detained and imprisoned in Kaliti Prison, Ethiopia by the Ethiopian government required the intervention of NODOM and the ministry.
The judge, who ordered the ministry and NIDCOM to receive and return the imprisoned Nigerians home, refused to grant their 1st relief seeking a declaration that the detained Nigerians’ rights had been breached by the respondents.(NAN)
NEWS
FG Declares Public Holidays for Christmas, New Year
The Federal Government has declared Wednesday, Thursday and Jan.1, 2025 as public holidays.
This is contained in a statement signed by the Ministry of Interior’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Magdalene Ajani, on Monday in Abuja.
According to Ajani, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo said that the public holidays were to enable citizens to celebrate Christmas, Boxing Day and the New Year respectively.
“The Christmas season is a good moment for both spiritual reflection and national renewal.
“As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Prince of Peace, let us demonstrate kindness and extend goodwill to one another, irrespective of our differences,” the Minister.
Tunji-Ojo emphasised the importance of the season as a time to foster harmony and to strengthen bonds across families and communities.
He assured citizens of the federal government’s continued commitment to ensuring peace, security, and prosperity across the nation.
He further expressed confidence in the renewed hope agenda of President Tinubu’s administration for a better and prosperous economy in 2025.
The Minister, on behalf of the federal government sent warm greetings to all Nigerians, urging them to use the festive period to reflect on the values of love, peace, and unity that the season signifies.(NAN)
NEWS
Hoodlums Attack Etsu Lokoja’s Palace, Raze Properties
Some suspected hoodlums on Saturday attacked the palace of Etsu Lokoja, Chief Emmanuel Dauda-Shelika, Nyamkpa IV, burning properties within the premises, including a vehicle.
The palace, located on plot 306, New Layout, Lokoja, was allegedly attacked by hoodlums at about 1:00 am on Saturday.
The Nupe Natives of Lokoja Development Union were planning to host the 2nd edition of the Nupe Natives end-of-the-year event, tagged “Lokoja ’24 Nupe Cultural Fiesta,” on Dec.
21, 2024, before the incident occurred.The event was, however, aborted due to the unfortunate attack.
Dauda-Shelika said this on Monday in Lokoja that he heard a big bang on my door at around 1 am.
“I woke up to check through the window, wondering what could have happened.
“Then, I suddenly saw wildfire coming out of my car that was set ablaze by attackers.
“I knew it was an attack on the palace, and therefore I could not come out because of fear of being attacked. So, I managed to come out through the back door and scaled the fence to escape for my life.
“Thereafter, I came out to the road and realised that all my neighbours in the community were on the ground trying hard to quench the fire, but unfortunately the car was burnt as well as other properties inside it.”
The traditional ruler appealed to the government and security agencies to investigate the cause of the attack and bring perpetrators and their sponsors to justice.
He admonished Nupe natives in Lokoja to avoid any reprisal attack but continue to remain peaceful and law abiding and allow the government and security agencies to conduct a thorough investigation of the attack.
“We are appealing to Gov. Ahmed Ododo and security agencies to please use their good offices to investigate this unfortunate incident and bring to justice whoever is concerned, whether directly or indirectly.
“We also want the government to kindly visit our issues by recognising and grading the stool of Etsu Lokoja, which had been in existence before colonisation,” he said.
He stated that the Lokoja Local Government Area chairman and his security team came for an on-the-spot assessment that Saturday morning, as well as the police and other security outfits.
The National President, Nupe Natives Union Lokoja, Alh. Abubakar Ndashite, said the event scheduled for Saturday was a celebration of Nupe cultural heritage and not any form of coronation as being insinuated from some quarters.
Ndashite, who doubles as the chairman of the planning committee, said the aborted event was to project the Nupe spirit and culture as well as the rich history of the diversely composed Lokoja community and the peaceful and harmonious coexistence among her.
He expressed his displeasure over the aborted cultural event, noting that the union had expended so much on it, and urged the government to bring perpetrators to book. (NAN)
NEWS
Eight Dead, Three Injured in Ohafia Road Crash
The Abia Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has confirmed the death of eight persons with two others injured in a road traffic crash that occurred along the Bende-Ohafia Road.
A statement by the Sector Commander, Mrs Ngozi Ezeoma, on Monday in Umuahia said that the crash occurred on Sunday along the Mmuri River axis of the road in Ohafia Local Government Area of the state.
She said the crash involved a Trailer carrying chippings which hit and fell on a Sharon Volkswagen vehicle with 10 persons on board.
“At the time of the crash eight persons had died including a woman standing by the roadside and three were injured.
“The injured victims were taken to the hospital while the dead ones were deposited at the morgue,” she said.
Ezeoma said that preliminary investigation revealed that the crash was caused by dangerous driving and excessive speeding. (NAN)