Senate Frowns at Ill Treatment of Nigerians Abroad

The Senate has asked the executive arm of government to press for redress and restitution for fourteen Nigerians deported from Spain.

The Senate made this resolution after considering a motion on the incessant unfair treatment and harassment of Nigerians in foreign countries.

The chairman of the Senate committee on foreign affairs, Matthew Nwagwu, who sponsored the motion, said the country’s nonchalant attitude towards the unfair treatment of Nigerians abroad makes the citizens vulnerable in foreign countries.

776 Nigerians are currently languishing in different prisons across the world.

According to the senate committee on foreign affairs, 395 Nigerians are in prisons in Spain; 126 in Gabon; 91 in Thailand; 62 in the United States of America; 30 in Niger; 43 in Malaysia; and 29 in Cameroon.

But are all these Nigerians guilty of the offences they were accused to have committed? The chairman of the senate committee on foreign affairs does not think so.

The federal lawmakers said Nigerians continually face unfair treatment and harassment in foreign countries.

Some Senators however advocated for a change of attitude by Nigerians going abroad.

For other lawmakers, there is an urgent need to properly fund Nigerian missions abroad.

The senate asked relevant Nigerian authorities to press for redress and restitution on behalf of the 14 Nigerians deported from Spain who were not found guilty of any offense.

The senate president, David Mark asked the committee on foreign affairs to invite the foreign affairs minister, Olugbenga Ashiru to brief it on the Spanish deportation saga and what the ministry is doing to come to the aid of the Nigerian student held in Ukraine.

-------CHANNELS TV