By Unknown

Copyright nigerianeye

The number of Nigerians being subjected to inhumane
treatment in detention facilities scattered across Benin Republic has raised
cause for concern.

The level at which security agents are said to have
subjected Nigerians to dehumanization in their detention facilities has been
described as horrible.

Alleging this, lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, said the tales of
Nigerians in the detention centers are gory and despicable.

Addressing journalists on Wednesday in Abuja, Adeyanju urged
President Bola Tinubu and Senate President Godswill Akpabio to intervene in the
travails of Nigerians being maltreated in Benin Republic.

Adeyanju lamented that despite being a signatory to some
international treaties and charters on human rights, Benin Republic has
subjected Nigerians to inhuman violations.

According to Adeyanju: “Very regrettably, the security
agencies in Benin Republic are maltreating Nigerians beyond what you can even
imagine. One of our lawyers went to Benin Republic to interact with majority of
Nigerians who are detained in their facilities and its gory stories of human
rights violations and abuses is just breathtaking and it’s sincerely very
despicable because the Benin Republic government is a treaty to many human
rights treaties both regionally, continentally, and globally.

“Globally, they are a signatory to the African Charter, the
universal declaration of human rights, yet they continue to violate the rights
of citizens of Nigerian. Its noteworthy that even lawyers from this office who
have travelled to Benin Republic have been subjected to the same similar

“Our head of chamber here had a very nasty experience as a
student in Benin Republic. She was arrested and labeled a prostitute for being
in Benin Republic, she was called all manner of names and detained. It took the
intervention of her uncle to save her.

“Other Nigerians who were interacted with since we raised
this alarm this morning and filed a petition at the Senate have also gotten in
touch with us due to the inhumane treatment.”

He gave accounts of how Nigerian students are labeled
prostitutes, criminals, and jailed in Benin Republic.

Adeyanju also decried the inability of detained Nigerians to
have access to counsels in Benin Republic.

He said: “Once they see that you are a Nigerian, they label
you a criminal, fraudster, prostitute, and they arrest people at will. Our head
of chambers had a school friend who couldn’t finish because immediately he was
labeled a criminal, he was charged to court, he does not speak French, and the
entire proceedings were in French through an interpreter and he was jailed, he
had to serve the term. Immediately he finished serving the term, out of fear he
left Benin Republic and never returned back.

“So, these are the similar challenges Nigerians are facing
there. They don’t have counsel and the right to counsel is a fundamental right
and it goes to the root of trial and it goes to even the root of the
jurisdiction of the court”.

The rights activist alleged that some Nigerians have died in
custody while others are seriously suffering from various infections in

He also revealed that a certain Nigerian pastor was chained
in a hospital.

Adeyanju added: “Unfortunately, look at the video we were
able to obtain of the inhumane conditions Nigerians were kept in prison in
Benin Republic, one of the prisoners had died in custody, several others are
sick and even the sick bay is in equipped and can’t cater for prisoners per
say. Many of the Nigerians there are battling with all kinds of diseases and
infections because the prison is over crowded and congested.

“We are calling on the government of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria, we have written to the President of the Senate, Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, and we have also been made aware of a pastor that was chained in one

“Calls have been made to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and
the Diaspora Commission and nothing has been done diplomatically so far. If the
government does not hid our call, we may be compelled to protest until
something drastic is done on this matter. This is something of concern to us
and we should be concerned about the way Nigerians are treated all over the
world, that no nation will take us seriously if we do not Carter for our

“This is why we are appealing to Tinubu government to do
something urgently about these infractions against Nigerians in the Benin

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