Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the Chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), has disclosed a startling statistic, saying, 99% of Nigerians in Ethiopian prisons are there for drug trafficking offenses.
This revelation followed a previous amnesty granted by the Nigerian Mission in Ethiopia, where individuals were released, only to return and commit the same crimes.
Speaking in an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Dabiri-Erewa while addressing a viral video claiming that 250 Nigerians faced imminent danger of being killed in Ethiopian prisons,vehemently dismissed the allegations.
She clarified that less than 150 Nigerians were incarcerated in one prison, with a staggering 99% of them facing charges related to drug offenses.
This assertion is set to undergo scrutiny as the Senate Committee on Diaspora and NGOs, led by Senator Victor Umeh, is expected to present its report in the coming week.
While speaking on the rising trend of Nigerian asylum seekers, colloquially known as “japa,” Dabiri-Erewa cautioned against undocumented migration.
During her visit to a shelter in Brampton, Canada, she emphasized the importance of leaving legitimately with proper documentation to avoid “unpleasant consequences.”
The NIDCOM boss expressed sympathy for those seeking asylum but underscored the increasingly challenging situation faced by migrants in various countries.
The commission’s Director of Media, Public Relations, and Protocols Unit, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, echoed Dabiri-Erewa’s warning, highlighting the need for Nigerians to adhere to legal channels when seeking refuge abroad.
As migration continues to be a pressing issue, the NIDCOM remains at the forefront, addressing challenges faced by Nigerians in the diaspora and working towards sustainable solutions
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