*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.