Senate probes maltreatment of Nigerians in Ethiopia

The Senate has moved to investigate the alleged killings and imprisonment of over 250 Nigerians in Ethiopia.

This followed a motion, titled: “Urgent need to investigate the unlawful killings and incarceration of over 250 Nigerians in Ethiopia,” sponsored by the Minority Leader, Senator Simon Mwadkwon, (PDP Plateau North), and Senator Victor Umeh (YPP Anambra Central).

Presenting the motion, Mwadkwon urged the Senate to direct the Committees on Diaspora and Foreign Affairs to work with the Federal Government to immediately constitute a committee to visit the Republic of Ethiopia with a view to investigating what is happening to Nigerians in the foreign land.

He also called on the Federal Government to immediately direct the Ethiopian Embassy to collaborate with the delegation of the Senate Committees on Diaspora and Foreign Affairs to find a lasting solution to problems being faced by Nigerians held in Ethiopia.

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Mwadkwon said, “The video clip being circulated in the social media indicates that Nigerians are held captives in the maximum prison of Ethiopia  and are in serious peril, which calls for an urgent intervention and thorough probe.”

He lamented that this was happening despite the clarion call for unity among nations of the world.

The Senate Leader said, “There is widespread information currently being circulated by Dr. Paul Ezike calling on the Nigerian Government to intervene on the inhumanity and torture that Nigerians are receiving in Ethiopia without evidence of the commission of any crime.

“Based on the widespread information being circulated, over 250 Nigerians who have continued to face this maltreatment and inhumanity have not committed any crime known to any law and there is no evidence of any court proceedings stating the categories of crimes they have committed or any court conviction in that regard.

“It is pathetic that a nation as populous as Nigeria, the giant of Africa, our citizens are being held in captivity in the 21st century where the call is for unity among nation-states but quite lugubriously that Ethiopia has chosen shallow path to maltreat and mistreat the citizens of Nigeria without any justification as shown in a video by Dr. Paul Ezike.”