From Dickson Okafor
Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja has ordered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission to bring back no fewer than 270 Nigerians currently imprisoned or detained in Kaliti Prison, Ethiopia.
Justice Ekwo, in a judgment delivered on November 14, a copy of which was made available to Daily Sun, gave the order of mandamus “compelling the ministry and NiDCOM to receive and return the imprisoned Nigerians consequent upon the decision and declaration of the Ethiopian government that that they have no budget for their food.”
“I find that the applicants have made a credible case for this court to issue an order of mandamus to compel the 1st and 2nd respondents to perform their statutory functions and I so hold,” Justice Ekwo ruled.
The applicants, Sunday Mmaduagwu, Henry Anyanwu and Leonard Okafor, through their lawyer, Abumchukwu N. Okoye had filed an originating motion on notice, listing NiDCOM, the Foreign Affairs Ministry, the Senate, the House of Representatives, the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Attorney-General of Federation as defendants.
The plaintiffs filed the suit on behalf of Nigerians imprisoned in Ethiopia Prison.
They sought an order compelling the 1st and 2nd respondents to receive and return Nigerians imprisoned, detained in Kaliti Ethiopia prisons, “consequent upon the decision and declaration of Ethiopian Government that they have no budget for their food, firewood, medicine and any other form of welfare and in the face of their call for Nigeria to take them back to Nigeria.”
In the affidavit in support of the motion, Mmaduagwu deposed that he was the first cousin of Mr. Remigius Anikwe, who was imprisoned at Kaliti Prison in Ethiopia.
He said Henry is a brother to Mr Chinedu Michael Anyanwu, who is also detained or imprisoned in Kaliti Prison, while Leonard is a relative of Mr Okafor Livinus Edochie, who also is in detention in the same prison.
Mmaduagwu averred that since he arrived in the prison to see his cousin, he met over 270 Nigerians in detention.
He said some of the persons in the prison were not even tried as they did not understand the language and neither were they offered the services of an interpreter.
According to him, the treatment being given to Nigerians in detention is shocking as any exchange of words with the indigenes will attract mass beating, and this has led to the collapse and death of some.