Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja

The Federal Government has said though it has not prisoners swap treaty with Federal Republic of Tanzania, it will investigate the cases of 27 Nigerians  languishing in Tanzania prisons without trial.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, gave the indication yesterday, when she had audience with former Chairman of the Law Society Charity organization, Nigel Doddy, at the presidential villa, Abuja, Dobby had brought the cases of 27 Nigerians  in Tanzania prisons without trial to the notice of the government.

Doddy, a citizen of the United Kingdom, said he ran into these cases while on a humanitarian work to Tanzanian prisons. While saying Nigeria should not intervene in the judicial process of Tanzania, he urged the government to step in and ensure that the Nigerians get justice.

He said: “I’m here to follow up on some reports I gathered in Tanzania two years ago, concerning Nigerians being detained without trial. I was able to identify 27 Nigerians who were detained at the time without trial.”

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“Importantly, at least four of them remain detained today. The problem is detention without trial. I’m not concerned about whether they are guilty or innocent, what I am concerned about is that they should be taken to courts for trial.

“The delays provide opportunities for evidences to get lost or stolen,” Doddy said. The human right activist disclosed that Tanzanian lawyers have been extorting monies from Nigerians in prisons without rendering commensurate services.

He added   the humanitarian matter concerning Nigerians in Tanzania was also of great concern to him.  According to him, he was able to identify three humanitarian cases.

He said “The first was a pastor being detained for immigration reasons, awaiting deportation back to Nigeria. For six to eight months, this has not been done. Most seriously, a youth who also has immigration issues and in mental hospital, was sent to prison. He has been there for several months, and I think the Nigerian High Commissioner should take action to secure his return to Nigeria.

“The third humanitarian issue is a Nigerian woman who has been sentenced to life imprisonment, clearly guilty. She should be repatriated to Nigeria to serve her sentence here,” he said.