Crime News
419 Nigerians Jailed In South African Prisons Lament
Nov 28, 2013 – 419 Nigerians Prisoners In South African Prisons Lament Neglect
Mrs Abike Dabiri Erewa, the Chairman of Committee on Diaspora affair has described the increasing numbers of Nigerians in foreign prisons as “ridiculously embarrassing”.
She made this known after visiting 2 prisons in South Africa where more than 419 Nigerians are being detained for various offences.
Abike Dabiri was accompanied on the visit by, Ajibola Famurewa and Umaru Shinkafi, both members of the committee, consular officers of the Nigerian Embassy, and executives of the Nigerian Union in South Africa.
The committee during an interaction with some inmates, were told that although some of them have completed their prison terms,they were being kept in Jail.
The inmates complained of extreme discrimination by the prison authorities in South Africa saying that a Nigerians, they get very bad deal.
Sometimes according to the inmates, the authorities tore into pieces their Nigerian passports among several other allegations and refused to grant them bail, while others from other countries that committed similar bailable offences were granted bail.
Dabiri- Erewa advised the inmates to stay away from crime as obviously it does not augur well, no matter what.
While on a visit to the Nigerian High commissioner to South Africa, Ambassador Sonni Samuel Yusuf, the committee commended the embassy for their various interventions and intimated them of the various allegations not only by Nigerians in prison but Nigerians generally in South Africa of discrimination in several areas.
The Nigerian Ambassador assured the committee, that the embassy will continue to make the welfare of Nigerians in South Africa their priorities.
In the words of the Ambassador, “nobody has the right to seize anyone’s passport not to talk of tearing them into pieces”.
He said issues like that are not peculiar to Nigerians alone but blacks generally in South Africa, adding that African ambassadors in South Africa are deliberating on the issue.
He said the embassy will not relent in its efforts to protect the right and dignity of Nigerians.
He also commended the large numbers of Nigerians excelling in South Africa in their various areas of endeavours, adding that the Embassy would continue to ensure that “one bad apple does not spoil the whole bunch”
As at November 2013, over 400,000 Nigerians are currently living in South Africa.
[NAN]
Omami
November 28, 2013 at 6:19 PM
It’s time we take a new turn
Must we be associated with crime every where we find ourselves?
Daniel Umeh
November 28, 2013 at 6:19 PM
Are they all 419 fraudsters?
Jezreel
November 28, 2013 at 6:20 PM
419 Nigerians imprisoned for crime
what a coincidence
red
November 29, 2013 at 2:55 AM
Stay away from crime like she said and nobody will treat you like an animal.you got nothing to lose when you are crime free and lots to gain.
bezo
November 29, 2013 at 10:55 AM
East nigeria are 400 while the rest 19 are from other places
bezo
November 29, 2013 at 12:59 PM
Hmmm, 419 criminals, 400 are from east
Jonathan
November 29, 2013 at 7:46 PM
The blacks with the connivance of the police have spoilt what the whitemen did for them. The crime is like a social norm. How I hate South Africa. The black spot disease is not only in the citrus fruit but in the people. They should ban south africans from traveling to any country including the police. Once Chijioke the DSTV installer of OK furniture hibernates at West Street Kempton Park is the number 1 armed robber from Nigeria in South Africa. He use the opportunity as a dstv installer to rob people with police. His telephone number is: +27849815309 or +27787964502 if you want to be robbed call him, if you do not want to be robbed avoid him like the black spot disease and ban him from entering your house to install dstv
South Africa is the worst place to live. I hate here because the police robbed me and my family with the help of an informant from Nigeria called Chijioke who is a DSTV installer of OK Furniture. I detest South Africa. I want to peel off the two years visa on it. Nobody is safe in South Africa as the police instead of protecting you rob you of your money once they are informed you came with money. People say I was lucky my family was not wiped away. I am running out of South Africa and never to come back here. I rather go to hell than come to South Africa
kelvin
April 16, 2015 at 9:03 PM
i really hope nigeria can redeem some of its lost images. guys like this are giving us a serious concern