A Federal High Court in Abuja has issued a landmark ruling compelling the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) to repatriate over 270 Nigerians imprisoned in Ethiopia.
The order followed a judgment delivered by Justice Inyang Ekwo, who mandated the agencies to perform their statutory responsibilities of protecting Nigerians abroad.
Justice Ekwo ruled after hearing a case filed by three applicants: Sunday Mmaduagwu, Henry Anyanwu, and Leonard Okafor.
The applicants brought the suit on behalf of their relatives and other Nigerians detained at Kaliti Prison in Ethiopia under harsh and dehumanizing conditions.
In his judgment, Justice Ekwo stated: “I find that the applicants have made a credible case for this court to issue an Order of Mandamus to compel the respondents to perform their statutory functions, and I so hold.”
The applicants had sued NiDCOM, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Senate, the House of Representatives, the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF).
They sought a declaration that the fundamental rights of the imprisoned Nigerians had been violated under the 1999 Constitution and international human rights laws.
The suit also cited provisions from the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, emphasizing the need to protect detainees from inhumane treatment.
The court heard shocking accounts of the ordeal faced by the imprisoned Nigerians.
Sunday Mmaduagwu, one of the applicants, recounted how his cousin, Remigius Anikwe, was detained without trial in Kaliti Prison.
He revealed that his visit to the prison uncovered over 270 Nigerians held in appalling conditions.
According to him, some detainees were arrested while transiting with valid visas, robbed of their money and belongings, and falsely accused of crimes.
“Many Nigerians have been denied proper hearings because they cannot understand the language and are not provided with interpreters,” Mmaduagwu said.
He alleged that prisoners who dared to speak against their mistreatment were brutally beaten, leading to injuries and even deaths.
“The conditions in that prison are shocking. Nigerians are treated worse than animals,” he lamented.
Mmaduagwu said detainees lacked access to basic needs such as food, medical care, and legal representation, with many families assuming their loved ones had died.
“NiDCOM itself admitted on television that the food served to Nigerians in Kaliti Prison is unfit for rats,” he added.
The applicants further alleged that the Ethiopian government had declared its inability to care for the prisoners due to budget constraints.
The Ethiopian authorities reportedly called on the Nigerian government to take responsibility for its citizens.
NiDCOM, however, has been accused of inaction despite being aware of the dire conditions.
Some detainees, according to the affidavit, have succumbed to illnesses such as kidney failure while receiving no medical treatment other than paracetamol.
The court’s ruling highlighted the need for the Nigerian government to act swiftly in rescuing its citizens from such dire circumstances.
Observers have noted that this case underscores the importance of safeguarding the rights and dignity of Nigerians abroad.
