NGO Appeals to FG to Release Inmates Repatriated from Thailand since 2002
PAGE 6
Prisoners’ Rights Advocacy Initiative (PRAI), an NGO with its cardinal focus on Advocacy, Legal Defence, Reformation, Rehabilitation and Reintegration of prisoners, has appealed to the Federal Government to look into the case of some inmates who were repatriated from Thailand since 2002.
The NGO in three separate letters to President Muhammadu Buhari through the Attorney-General of the Federation, to the Controller-General of Prisons and to Hon. Abike Dabiri, Chairman, National Diaspora Committee (NIDCOM), stated that eight out of a total 493 detainees repatriated from the Kingdom of Thailand, are still languishing in Kirikiri Maximum and Female Prisons, despite the release of over 400 of their colleagues detained in other prisons by successive governments.
According the letter of appeal dated July 24, 2019 and signed by PRAI’s Founder and Executive Director, Mr. Ahmed AdetolaKazeem, the inmates are detainees transferred from the Kingdom of Thailand via the Treaty entered into between the Government of Nigeria and the Government of The Kingdom of Thailand for the transfer of Prisoners in January 2002.
“We appreciate your effort at reforming the prisons, and gradually making it a place of true rehabilitation. We appreciate your role in the Amnesty recently granted to Prison inmates across different States of the Federation and Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
“We shall be craving your generous indulgence, in extending such gestures to eight (8) detainees repatriated from the Kingdom Thailand who still languish in Kirikiri Maximum and Female Prisons, despite the release of over 400 of their colleagues detained in other prisons by successive governments.
“It will interest you to know sir, that some of the detainees have already served out their sentences, in view of the clemency already granted them by the Thailand Government. This could be verified”, Adetola-Kazeem stated.
He listed the names of the inmates as Wasiu Amusan( aka John Smith), who was arrested and jailed in Thailand in the year 1999; Napolean Marvelous Mba, who was arrested and jailed in Thailand in 2002; Obi Titus, who was arrested and jailed in Thailand in 2002; Henry Azukaeme Ejikeme, who was arrested and jailed in Thailand in 2006 having been sentenced to a 25 years imprisonment term; Kennedy Tanya, who was arrested and jailed in Thailand in 2006; Yakubu Muhammed Yauza, who was arrested and jailed in Thailand in 2006 and Chola Mulenga aka Gloria Ogbonna, who was arrested and jailed in Thailand in 2005 after been sentenced to 30 years imprisonment.
Others are Oteng Samuel (aka Okpala Kingsley Chukwubike), who was arrested and jailed in Thailand in 2007 having been sentenced to a 25 years Imprisonment term.
The NGO stated that, some of the detainees, particularly Henry and Oteng have already served out their sentences in view of the clemency already granted them by the Thailand Government, and urged the Federal Government to immediately release them in the interest of justice.
“Sir, these men should not be in prison, and deserve to be released without delay, we count on your assistance to ensure these men get justice, just as recently done in the case of Derrick Addai who was also a repatriated from Thailand and got released through the support of Oba Dapo Tejuosho and the Chief Judge of Ogun State.
“There is a very huge possibility that others have also been granted clemency by the Thailand government, but unfortunately they are unable to get that confirmation because they do not have relatives in Thailand, unlike Henry and Oteng.
“Between 2003 and 2012, former President Olusegun Obasanjo and late President Umar Yar’adua granted amnesty to Four Hundred and Fifty (450) of them, through the Presidential Amnesty Programme. They were granted pardon and amnesty, in batches.
“Subsequently, another list was sent to the late President Umar Yar’adua for his consideration, but unfortunately he passed on. According to them, no other President lookeed their way again. And on the 28th day of November, 2011, a Lawyer, Mr. Adewale Fadipe applied to court for the release of thirty of the detainees and the detainees were released. These thirty (30) were remanded in the Kirikiri Medium Prison, Lagos.
“However, there were others in Kirikiri Maximum Prison, Abeokuta and Ijebu Ode Prisons that were not in the know of the suit filed by Mr Adedipe. Those in Abeokuta and Ijebu Ode Prisons, also recently secured freedom. Derrick Addai who recently gained his freedom as widely reported in the Punch Newspaper of 15th July, 2019, was one of them.
“Many of the above listed inmates, have led very commendable lives in the Prison. For instance, Mr. Wasiu Amusan is the Chairman of the Muslim Community, and under his watch, two mosques were built in prison, many lives were transformed, and many also secured their freedom through his efforts.
“We plead that you invoke your statutorily granted powers, by granting these men Amnesty and Pardon on the following grounds:
“For Henry Azukaeme and Oteng Samuel (aka Okpala Kingsley Chukwubike), they deserve to be released as of right, having obtained verifiable documents showing that Clemency has been granted them by the Thailand Goverment and their expected day of release being March 6th, 2018 and April 4th, 2017, respectively.
“For Wasiu Amusan (aka John Smith), he is the only one from the 1st to 5th Batches of repatriated detainees, still in prison. He has been in prison since 1998, 20 years ago. He has suffered a lot, and we believe what is good for the goose is good for the gander, even though we appreciate that clemency, pardon or amnesty, are neither rights nor privileges, but discretionary powers.
“For Napolean Marvelous Mba, Obi Titus, Kennedy Tanya, Yakubu Muhammed Yauza and Chola Mulenga (aka Gloria Ogbonna), they are the only ones left in the 6th batch of returnees and deserve amnesty like those granted to 450 (Four Hundred and Fifty) detainees/deportees by former President Olusegun Obasanjoand late President Umaru Yar' adua and 30 others by Order of Muhammed Nasir Yunusa (J) of Federal High Court, Lagos Division in Suit No. FHC/L/ CS/1420/2011, and more recently, to Derrick Addai through the Ogun State Chief Judge.
“The least any of these detainees has spent in prison is 12 years, even though Section 22(2)(3) NDLEA Act, CAP N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, provides that “….Any Nigerian citizen found guilty in any foreign country of an offence involving narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances and who thereby bring the name of Nigeria into disrepute shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable to imprisonment for a term of five (5) years without an option of fine and his assets and properties shall be liable to forfeiture….” They have spent far more than what is stipulated in the Nigerian laws.
“All of them have suffered morally, materially, emotionally, and otherwise. Most of them have lost their loved ones, within this period.
“It is on the grounds highlighted above, that we are pleading that you temper justice with mercy and give them another chance. It is further believed that, in this era where prisons are being decongested, pardoning them will be a step in the right direction, even as most of them are not hardened criminals, and have become reformed individuals during their stay in prison, which will make them useful to the society upon their release.
“We are pleading on their behalf for pardon and amnesty, like their partners who had enjoyed same during the regime of late President Yar’adua even more recently”, the letter stated.