Deltan dies in Ethiopian prison

A Nigerian inmate at the Kaliti Prisons in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia has died after an undisclosed ailment.

The deceased identified as Odemu Efe, hails from Warri, Delta State

The National daily gathered that Efe was among the about 150 inmates of Nigerian descents at the prison facility.

It was learnt that they are being detained on allegations of possession of hard drugs and money laundering.

The National daily gathered that several inmates have fallen ill due to malnourishment as they are allegedly fed once a day with white rice, without sauce, all year round.

The deceased, according to a source, died on July 13 as a result of poor medication after he took ill.

It was also learnt that all efforts to draw the attention of Nigerian officials to his deteriorating condition failed.

A concerned Nigerian, Miss Chika Nwachukwu, accused Nigerian officials of showing lack of concern about the welfare of the inmates in foreign lands.

She alleged that there was lack of commitment on the part of the home government to facilitate their repatriation even when the Ethiopian authorities are willing to release the inmates.

“As we speak, some inmates are very sick and they are not getting good medical attention. Nobody knows whether they will survive since Odemu died in similar condition.

“The Federal Government should please activate the relevant ministries and agencies to bring succour to these citizens languishing in foreign land by bringing them back home.

“Most of them are willing to be responsible for any cost incurred in the process, and they are also ready to face trial at home for the alleged offences for which they are being detained,” the source stated.

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Nwachukwu appealed to the chairman of South East Governors’ Forum and Governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi to mobilise stakeholders in the region to free the inmates, claiming that over eighty percent of them are from the South East.

According to the source, the governments of other African countries including Kenya, Sudan, Eritrea, whose citizens were also trapped in the Kaliti prisons, activated their foreign missions in Ethiopia to set their nationals free.