FG Releases Six Prisoners Transferred From Thailand After Serving Over 10 Years Jail Term In Kirikiri

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*65 soldiers still languishing in jail despite presidential
Amnesty — Falana, SAN

A popular Senior Advocate of Nigeria and human rights activist,
Femi Falana, has secured the release of six Nigerian inmates who
were held in Kirikiri Maximum Prison, Lagos despite the pardon
granted to them in Thailand

The inmates are Azukaeme Henry Ejikeme, George Chibuike Onyeama,
Kennedy Tanya, Yakubu Yahuza Mohammed, Mrs Gloria Ogbonna and Wasiu
Amusan, alias John Smith.

The six prisoners were repatriated from Thailand to complete
their prison terms in Nigeria but were held in Kirikiri Maximum
Prison many years beyond their release dates.

According to the documents obtained by THENIGERIALAWYER(TNL),
the convicts were convicted in Thailand for drug-related offenses
at various times between 1998 and 2006, but were granted royal
pardon under the Thai Royal Amnesty Decree in 2016 and 2019 and
their sentences commuted by the Thai monarch, Maha Vajiralongkorn,
to one-sixth of their original sentences.

Recall that the law office of the foremost human rights
activist, Falana and Falana Chambers, had on August 25, 2020 in a
letter addressed to the Honourable Minister of Interior, Ogbeni
Rauf Aregbesola, requested for the immediate release of the
convicts.

“Sometime in June 2020, we we were contacted by 8
Nigerians who were convicted in Thailand and transferred to Nigeria
on October 2, 2012 under a Prison Exchange Bilateral Program. They
alleged that they had been abandoned in the Kirikiri Maximum
Correctional Centre after they had been granted Royal pardon by the
Thai King. We confirmed the allegation and decided to launch a
legal battle for their release from prison custody.

“On July 2, 2020 our law firm requested the Honourable
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Godfrey Onyeama to direct the
Nigerian embassy in Thailand to furnish us with the warrant for the
release of the convicts. The Minister did and the Embassy
procured and sent 6 warrants to Nigeria. The warrants were
promptly forwarded to us.

“On August 25, we wrote to the Honourable Minister of
Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola urging him to direct the Kirikiri
Maximum Correctional Centre to release the convicts from
custody. As the request was subjected to bureaucratic hiccup
we were compelled to file 6 applications at the federal high court
for the immediate and unconstitutional release of the
convicts.

“We are therefore compelled to draw your attention to the facts
and circumstances of the conviction, sentences and the royal pardon
granted to our clients which are briefly set out below:

“Mr Azukaeme Henry Ejikeme was convicted and sentenced to 25
years imprisonment in 2006. He served 10 years and 5 months of the
jail term in Thailand and has served additional 11 years in
Nigeria. Pursuant to the Royal Decree of Amnesty to Detainees,
(with) his sentence commuted, he ought to have been released from
prison custody on March 6, 2018.

“Mrs Ogbonna née Jigbale Gloria Lieoma (aka Chola Mulenga) was
convicted and sentenced to 33 years imprisonment in 2005. She
served 10 years of the prison term in Thailand and additional 12
years in Nigeria. She was granted royal pardon pursuant to the
Royal Decree of Amnesty to Detainees on August 3, 2005 and her jail
term commuted to one-sixth of the original sentence. She ought to
have been released from prison custody on February 19,
2019.

“Mr Okpala Kingsley Chibuike (aka Oteng Samuel) was convicted
and sentenced to 25 years imprisonment in 2007 for drug-related
offences. He served 8 years and 5 months in Thailand and additional
11 years in Nigeria. He was granted royal pardon pursuant to
Thailand’s Royal Decree of Amnesty to Detainees and his sentence
commuted to one-sixth of the original sentence. He ought to have
been released from prison custody since April 4, 2017.

“Mr Yakubu Yahuza Mohammed was convicted and sentenced to 25
years imprisonment in 2006. He served 10 years of the jail term in
Thailand and additional 11 years custodial term in Nigeria. He was
granted royal pardon pursuant to Thailand’s Royal Decree of Amnesty
to Detainees and his sentence commuted to one-sixth of the original
sentence. He ought to have been released from prison custody on May
3, 2019.

“Mr Kennedy Tanya (aka Tanya Victor Kennedy) was convicted and
sentenced to 25 years imprisonment in 2006. He was granted royal
pardon pursuant to the Royal Decree of Amnesty to Detainees and his
sentence commuted to one-sixth of the original sentence. He ought
to have been released from prison custody on May 14, 2017.

“Mr Wasiu Amusan (aka John Smith) was convicted and sentenced to
life imprisonment in Thailand in 1998. He served 10 years
imprisonment in Thailand and an additional term of 13 years in
Nigeria. By the royal amnesty granted him, he ought to have been
released from prison custody on July 29, 2010.”

Falana said “Even though the case has been adjourned to
January 25, 2021 for definite hearing the Minister of Interior
granted our request last week for the release of the convicts.

“Accordingly, they were released on December 26, 2020. We
are pursuing the case of the remaining two convicts.

“It is unfortunate that the convicts have been detained
illegally since 2017 when the Thai King granted them amnesty.

“A few months ago, we also secured the release of an awaiting
trial inmate who was charged with armed robbery and abandoned in
the same Correctional Centre.

“The legal advice rendered by the Attorney-General of Lagos
State to the effect that he had no case to answer received by the
police 6 years earlier was not transmitted to the Magistrate Court
that had remanded him in prison custody.

“Both cases call for a comprehensive audit of all inmates
in the nation’s correctional centres. For instance, 65
convicted soldiers who have met the conditions outlined in the
Presidential Amnesty granted to certain categories of prison
inmates in April 2020 are still languishing in prison custody. They
were 66 of them but one of has been released from prison
custody. No reason has been adduced by the prison authorities for
not releasing the others,” Femi Falana SAN, added.