The Senate has begun an investigation into the incarceration of 250 Nigerians in Ethiopian prison.
This was sequel to a motion by the Senate Minority Leader, Simon Mwadkwon, at the plenary yesterday.
A report making the rounds on social media said over 250 Nigerians are facing inhumanity and maltreatment in Ethiopia without committing any offense. The report called on the Nigerian government to intervene in the illegal incarceration of its citizens.
Mwadkwon in his motion during the plenary said the reported incarceration of Nigerians was disturbing because of lack of legal provision in international courts of which Nigeria and Ethiopia are signatories.
He told the Senate to immediately carry out a thorough investigation into the incarceration of the 250 Nigerians in the Ethiopian maximum prison.
Senators supported the motion, thus making the red Chambers to order its committees on Diaspora and Foreign Affairs to probe the matter and report their findings within two weeks.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who condemned discrimination against Nigerians in foreign countries, called on relevant institutions to intervene to protect Nigerians in the diaspora.
He said, “I am aware that many Nigerians are suffering discrimination in places like South Africa and some of the countries have even stopped receiving green passports, saying that they cannot use the green passports to enter their countries and some of those countries are not even up to the size of Enugu State.
“I think it is important that while looking at this issue, we should also take steps to reestablish the authorities of Nigeria; the largest black country in the world.”
