NIDCOM Demands Due Process Over Detention Of 42 Nigerians In Mozambique
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) has called on Mozambican authorities to ensure due process in the case involving the arrest of 42 Nigerian citizens in the country.
This follows reports and subsequent denial by Mozambique’s National Criminal Investigation Service (SERNIC) that other foreign nationals were detained alongside the Nigerians.
In a statement issued by NIDCOM’s spokesman, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, the Commission said the reasons for the detention of the Nigerians have not been officially communicated to the Nigerian High Commission in Mozambique.
According to Balogun, claims by SERNIC that the Nigerians were arrested for allegedly residing illegally in the country are yet to be formally confirmed.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NIDCOM, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, disclosed that families of the detained Nigerians have been making distress calls, expressing deep concern about the welfare and condition of their loved ones.
She also alleged that the detainees had their mobile phones, personal belongings, and money confiscated at the time of their arrest.
Dabiri-Erewa further revealed that the Nigerian High Commission has written to Mozambique’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as the Office of the Attorney General seeking clarification on the matter.
She maintained that if the Nigerians have committed any offence, the authorities should formally charge them in court and make the allegations public.
However, she insisted that if no offence has been established, the detainees should be released without further delay.
While reiterating that the Nigerian government does not condone criminal activities by its citizens anywhere in the world, Dabiri-Erewa stressed that no Nigerian should be subjected to unlawful detention or punishment for an offence they neither committed nor understand.
1 AUGUSTINE CHUKWUKA OKEKE M
2 MAXIMUS ANAYO M
3 OKECHUKWU BENJAMIN ECHE M
4 ANAEROBI IKENNA MARTINS M
5 STEPHEN ANAYO OKONGWE M
6 ONWUJEWE RAYMOND M
7 CHUKWUNAZOR0M DONATUS JOHN M
8 AGINAM CHUKWUENYEM DAVID M
9 COLLINS ADERITO UZOEWULU M
10 OKONKWO NNAMDI JOHNPAUL M
11 ONWUNYILI LAWRENCE CHUKWUEMEKA M
12 UGOCHUKWU VALENTINE EZECHIEDUM M
13 NNAMDI OKECHUKWU M
14 CELESTINE OKALU M
15 GOODLUCK CHUKWUNYERE EPHRAIN M
16 EBUKA AMUH PABLO M
17 CHUKWUEMEKA STEVEN UGWU M
18 CISLOUYINDIKA IFEANYI EZEIFEOMA M
19 CHINEDU DANIEL IGWILO M
20 IDEH SAMUEL EZINWA M
21 OGOCHUKWU MICHAEL OKONKWOR M
22 OKECHUKWU CHRISTOPHER M
23 CHINEDU OKEKE M
24 CHUKWUEBUKA TOBECHUKWU ORAKA M
25 SIMON NNAEMEKA M
26 ONYEKA EMMANUEL UFONDO M
27 CHIDERA CHRISTOPHER M
28 NZUBE KINGSLEY EBERE M
29 EKENE SAMUEL NWANA M
30 CHRISTIAN EMEKA MUOKA M
31 GERALD EMEKA GODWIN M
32 OGU INYANG M
33 OLUEBUBECHUKWU VICTOR MADUKA M
34 ONYEDIKA KINGSLEY M
35 DONATUS UCHI M
36 CHINECHEREM ALU M
37 EMMANUEL ANENE UGWU M
38 MUONEKE MATEUS M
39 MARTIN TOCHUKWU MBAKWE M
40 IKECHUKWU NWALI M
41 LOTANNA OKEKE M
42 EMEKA HENRY EKENTA M
