Ken Okeke
Nigeria and Ethiopia may face Diplomatic rumble if that country fails to explain circumstances leading to the death of a Nigerian inmate.
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), has hinted that the Federal Government would demand a full investigation into the circumstances that led to the death of a Nigerian, Chizoba Favour Eze, in an Ethiopian prison.
This is contained in a statement by Mr Abdur-Rahman Balogun, Head of Media, Public Relations and Protocols Unit, NIDCOM in Abuja on Wednesday.
Eze died after she was allegedly brutalised by the Ethiopian Police.
According to multiple sources, the young woman died from injuries she sustained after she was brutalised by the Police personnel attached to the Kaliti prison, a maximum security facility in Addis Ababa.
The statement quoted Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman, NIDCOM as saying that the Commission was in contact with the Nigerian Mission in Ethiopia and that the circumstances that led to Eze’s death would be thoroughly investigated.
Dabiri-Erewa added, according to the statement, that she was concerned over the reported conditions of some Nigerians serving various jail terms in Ethiopia.
She said most of the cases were drug-related.
The NiDCOM chief also said the Nigerian Mission in Ethiopia had proposed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) from the Nigerian Correctional Service on the transfer of sentenced persons to Nigeria.
She, however, said the Nigerian Government was awaiting a response from Ethiopia.
Dabiri-Erewa said although the Ethiopian Government had granted amnesty to Nigerian prisoners in 2019, a number of them still found their way back to the country and allegedly committed the same drug-related crimes and were re-arrested.
The NIDCOM boss condoled with the family of Chizoba, who was said to have died on March 12.