The House of Representatives, yesterday condemned the ill-treatment and discrimination against Nigerians living in South Africa, stressing that at least more than 409 were currently serving jail terms in the country.
Chairman of the House Committee on Diaspora, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, disclosed this in a statement issued after the committee’s visit to two prisons in South Africa.
She described the increasing number of Nigerians in foreign prisons as “ridiculously embarrassing.”
Dabiri-Erewa, representing Ikorodu Federal Constituency in Lagos State, who visited the prisons alongside two members of the committee, Ajibola Famurewa and Umaru Shidanfi, consular officers of the Nigerian Embassy and executives of the Nigerian Union in South Africa, disclosed that over 400,000 Nigerians were currently living in South Africa.
During her interaction with some inmates, the lawmaker explained that some of them confessed that they had been denied their freedom, despite completing their jail terms.
“The inmates complained of extreme discrimination by the prison authorities in South Africa. The law enforcement officers always maltreat citizens of Nigeria for unjustifiable reasons.
Abike said “Sometimes, the authorities tore into pieces their Nigerian passports among several other allegations and refused to grant them bail, while others from other countries that committed similar bailable offence were granted bail,” culled
*Na wah,Nigerians sure know how to dominate their environment sha....
Nigerians are always searchin 4 greener pastures everywhere except in deir own country.
ReplyDeleteThat's because there are no green pastures in Nigeria!
DeleteThat's cos Nigeria is full of brown pastures, u can only c few greens if u work so hard or out of luck.
Deletei jst wsh nigerians can ve sum oita of faith in dia homeland! Dis whole greener pastures search is seriously getting dem in2 trouble daily.
ReplyDeletebring them back home
ReplyDelete@Galore
Abi
ReplyDeleteDear Abike, Your fight against injustice meted out to our fellow Nigerians in the Diaspora is commendable. However, I put it to you that the real problem is yet to be addressed. WHY DID THEY LEAVE IN THE FIRST PLACE. If you truly want to help people that are suffering in the diaspora, then give them a reason to come home. Corruption is in every country. But some are worse than others. Nigeria is amongst those topping the list and Western powers are aiding and fueling our corruption. South Africa has never treated our people well. Yet, the largest companies, banks, insurance companies and even conglomerates are run by South Africans. Yet according to current UBA MD, Nigeria cannot boast of even a bank subsidiary in South Africa. PITY
ReplyDeleteHard work pays, I agree but. To do business in this country is hard as well. I run on generator 247 at my office. But still I have t remain in biz. My point is, living abroad is not a bed of roses as well. Abike Dabiri is trying her best, maybe if our dear GEJ can show some support like he did in the case of his value added Asari Dokubo, we would heve less nigerians in prisons abroad.
ReplyDelete