The House of Representatives on Thursday summoned the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, and the Chairman of the Nigeria Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, to brief the House on measures being taken to protect Nigerians in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
This followed a motion by the Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda, and 10 others on the victimization, maltreatment and forced imprisonment of Nigerians, including air travellers, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The others were Hon.Abdussamad Dasukki, Hon. Laori Kwamoti Bittrus, Hon. Aliyu Madaki, Hon. Unyime Idem, Hon. Nkwonta Chris, Hon. Abbas Adogun, Hon. Kabiru Ahmadu, Hon. Ibe O. Osonwa, Hon. Ginger Onwusibe and Hon. Kelechi Nwogu
Leading debate on the motion, Chinda alleged that one Paul Ezike in a ‘Safe our Soul’ message circulated a message at the instance of a Nigerian allegedly arrested and put in Ethiopia prison.
He said some Nigerians were currently serving at the Chaota Maximum Security and other prisons in Ethiopia, most of whom were travellers that used the Ethiopian Airport as a transit point where they were indiscriminately arrested and taken to the hospital and forcefully injected with some substances and later taken to the prison facilities.
According to him, Nigerians in Addis Ababa and all over the world and their air travellers should be protected and accorded the same protection Nigeria gave to foreigners who lived in Nigeria.
Chinda said further that about 250 Nigerians were currently serving prison terms in Ethiopia as a result of frequent attacks and might die in prison if urgent steps were not taken to save them.
He explained that these Nigerians were not only poorly treated, but were also subjected to very agonizing conditions, poor feeding and without medication.
Chinda said that the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) joined the rest of Africa to sign a remarkable Trade Agreement for the continent and the fact that Nigerians were industrious entrepreneurs and had spent years transacting business in Addis Ababa and air travellers contributing to their economy.
He said that if early interventions and diplomatic measures were not taken by the Nigerian government to check the incessant attacks on Nigerians in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, air travellers would be at risk.
