Skip to main content

Nigerian Government Finally Releases Six Prisoners Abandoned In Jail After Transfer From Thailand

The Federal Government on Saturday released six prisoners repatriated from Thailand to complete their prison terms in Nigeria but held in Kirikiri Maximum Prison many years beyond their release dates.

The released inmates are Azukaeme Henry Ejikeme, George Chibuike Onyeama, Kennedy Tanya, Yakubu Yahuza Mohammed, Mrs Gloria Ogbonna and Wasiu Amusan, alias John Smith.


Documents seen by SaharaReporters showed that the six were imprisoned for drug-related offences but were granted royal pardon and their sentences commuted by the Thai monarch, Maha Vajiralongkorn, to one-sixth of their original sentences.

Making a case for the released inmates, human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, had in a letter in August 2020 to the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, alleged that the Nigerian government was wasting public funds maintaining them when they ought to have regained their freedom.

“Our clients were convicted in Thailand for drug-related offences at various times between 1998 and 2006. They were however transferred from Thailand to the Kirikiri Maximum Correctional Centre to complete their prison terms following the Prison Exchange Treaty of 2012 between the Kingdom of Thailand and the Federal Government of Nigeria. Section 5 of the said Prison Exchange Treaty stipulates that the transferring state i.e. Thailand ‘shall retain exclusive jurisdiction regarding the judgments of it’s court, the sentences imposed by them and any procedures for revision, modification or cancellation of those judgments and sentences,’” Falana said.

“Pursuant to the said treaty, our clients were granted general amnesty under the Thai Royal Amnesty Decree in 2016 and 2919. But due to undisclosed reasons the authorities of the Nigerian Correctional Services have refused to release our clients from unlawful incarceration notwithstanding that they have been pardoned under the Thai Royal Amnesty Decree. However, having obtained copies of the Royal Amnesty documents from the Government of Thailand through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we are pained to know our clients ought to have been released from prison custody at various times between 2010 and 2019.

“It is evident that the Federal Government which facilitated the transfer of our clients from Thailand to Nigeria has abandoned them in the Kirikiri Maximum Correctional Centre. Thus, due to unpardonable negligence of certain public officers, the Federal Government has been wasting public funds on maintaining our clients when they ought to have regained their freedom. We are therefore compelled to draw your attention to the facts and circumstances of the conviction, sentences and the royal pardon granted to our clients which are briefly set out below:

“Mr Azukaeme Henry Ejikeme was convicted and sentenced to 25 years imprisonment in 2006. He served 10 years and 5 months of the jail term in Thailand and has served additional 11 years in Nigeria. Pursuant to the Royal Decree of Amnesty to Detainees, (with) his sentence commuted, he ought to have been released from prison custody on March 6, 2018. 

“Mrs Ogbonna née Jigbale Gloria Lieoma (aka Chola Mulenga) was convicted and sentenced to 33 years imprisonment in 2005. She served 10 years of the prison term in Thailand and additional 12 years in Nigeria. She was granted royal pardon pursuant to the Royal Decree of Amnesty to Detainees on August 3, 2005 and her jail term commuted to one-sixth of the original sentence. She ought to have been released from prison custody on February 19, 2019.  

“Mr Okpala Kingsley Chibuike (aka Oteng Samuel) was convicted and sentenced to 25 years imprisonment in 2007 for drug-related offences. He served 8 years and 5 months in Thailand and additional 11 years in Nigeria. He was granted royal pardon pursuant to Thailand’s Royal Decree of Amnesty to Detainees and his sentence commuted to one-sixth of the original sentence. He ought to have been released from prison custody since April 4, 2017.  

“Mr Yakubu Yahuza Mohammed was convicted and sentenced to 25 years imprisonment in 2006. He served 10 years of the jail term in Thailand and additional 11 years custodial term in Nigeria. He was granted royal pardon pursuant to Thailand’s Royal Decree of Amnesty to Detainees and his sentence commuted to one-sixth of the original sentence. He ought to have been released from prison custody on May 3, 2019.  

“Mr Kennedy Tanya (aka Tanya Victor Kennedy) was convicted and sentenced to 25 years imprisonment in 2006. He was granted royal pardon pursuant to the Royal Decree of Amnesty to Detainees and his sentence commuted to one-sixth of the original sentence. He ought to have been released from prison custody on May 14, 2017.

“Mr Wasiu Amusan (aka John Smith) was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in Thailand in 1998. He served 10 years imprisonment in Thailand and an additional term of 13 years in Nigeria. By the royal amnesty granted him, he ought to have been released from prison custody on July 29, 2010.”

News

AddThis

: 

Original Author

: 

SaharaReporters, New York

Disable advertisements

: 

from 24HRSNEWS
via 24HRSNEWS



from EDUPEDIA247https://ift.tt/3mRyqmY
via EDUPEDIA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dust haze weather to prevail on Thursday, December 27

- The Nigerian Meteorological agency (NiMet) predicts thick dust haze weather conditions over most parts of the country - NiMet predicts northern states would experience dust haze - The agency also predicts early morning mist/fog is expected over the coastal cities The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted thick dust haze weather conditions with reduced visibility over most parts of the country on Thursday, December 27. NiMet’s Weather Outlook on Wednesday, December 26, in Abuja, revealed that the central region of the country would record dust haze condition with visibility range of two to five kilometres throughout the day. It added that day and night temperatures of 27 degrees Celsius to 34 degrees Celsius and 10 degrees Celsius to 20 degrees Celsius, respectively, would prevail over the region. READ ALSO: Police reportedly arrest Badeh’s alleged killers The agency predicted that the northern states would experience dust haze with visibility range of two to fi...
Post a Comment
Read more

N2.5bn Fraud: You Have Case To Answer, Appeal Court Tells Suspended NBC Boss, Kawu

The Director General of the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, Ishaq Kawu. The Court of Appeal, sitting in Abuja, has dismissed an appeal filed by the suspended Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission, Dr Moddibbo Kawu, challenging the decision of the Federal High Court, to dismiss the no-case submission he filed at the lower court. The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission had charged Kawu, Lucky Omoluwa (late Chairman of Pinnacle Communications Ltd) and Dipo Onifade, Chief Operating Officer of the same company, before Justice Folashade Ogunbanjo-Giwa, on a 12-count charge of money laundering. Is'haq Modibbo Kaw THISDAYLIVE The suspended NBC boss and his co-accused then approached the appellate court to reverse the judgment of the Federal High Court. The appellate dismissed the no-case submission filed by Kawu and his co-accused and held that they had an explanation to give when he elected to facilitate the payment of ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Buhari’s Legacy Of Recessions By Fredrick Nwabufo

Fredrick Nwabufo ‘Why always Buhari?’ As it was in 1984 under General Buhari, so it is in 2016 and 2020 under President Buhari? Is it by the unfortunate hands of kismet that recession hits Nigeria every time Buhari takes charge of the country’s affairs? If the recession of the 80s under Buhari was a conspiracy by economic and political factors, to what do we attribute that of his first coming as a civilian President — and now in his second coming? Why does pestilence scourge the land, hunger ravage the population and lives lost malevolently when Buhari presides over the country? Why always Buhari? Buhari’s undoing is his wonted predilection for hierarchising ethnicity, religion and loyalty above competence. Since 1999, no President has obtrusively shown a more nepotistic aspect than Buhari. It is unarguable that the President arrays the most competence-challenged cabinet ever in the chronicle of governance in Nigeria. Yes, a recession cabinet. Fredrick Nwabufo Here is a cabin...
Post a Comment
Read more