457 Nigerians languishing in Brazialian prisons--Dabiri-Erewa


457 Nigerians languishing in Brazialian prisons--Dabiri-Erewa


Rep Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora,  has said  457 Nigerians, including a 72-year-old woman, Fausat Abosede, are languishing in various prisons in Brazil.
Dabiri-Erewa told the Newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday, that the committee had visited Brazil and was  touched by the pitiable condition of the inmates. “We were touched by the psychological traumas that the inmates were going through, despite the cleanliness and orderliness of the prison environment,'' she said.
She said the visit was prompted by a hint it got from a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Youth Without Borders, led by two Nigerians, Taiwo and Kehinde Afolabi. 
The lawmaker said out of the figure, 14 of the inmates were female, who were been kept at Sao Paulo Women Plenipotentiary Prisons.
She said one of the women had completed her term and was undergoing a rehabilitation training.
Dabiri-Erewa said the delegation was, however, disturbed by the predicament of 72-year old Abosede , who told the delegation that she went to Brazil for medical treatment, through a Nigerian.
She added that the woman decided to return to Nigeria when she realised that the treatment she was promised was not forth coming.
Abosede was, however, arrested at the airport in September 2011, with drugs in a bag she claimed was given to her by an acquaintance, named Patricia, to deliver in Nigeria.
The lawmaker faulted the Brazilian authorities for keeping the old woman in prison, contrary to the laws of the country,which stipulates that a suspect of her age be kept in house arrest pending sentence.
Dabiri-Erewa said the committee had formally presented Abosede’s case and those of other inmates to the Director, Department of Immigrations of Ministry of Justice of Brazil, Dr. Izaura Miranda, who had expressed surprise on the woman’s case.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Drug Insecurity: House Urges FG to Fund Indigenous Drug Research

Population of Doctors in Nigeria Hits 74,543

Environmental Groups Want Agip to Clean Bayelsa Oil Spill Site