Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja

The Federal Government has said even though it has no prisoners swap treaty with Federal Republic of Tanzania, it would investigate non-trial of cases of 27 Nigerians  languishing in Tanzanian prisons.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, gave the assurance at the Presidential Villa, in Abuja.

She said this when she had audience with former Chairman of the Law Society Charity organization, Nigel Doddy, on Wednesday, who brought the cases of 27 Nigerians  in Tanzanian 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 he was not saying Nigeria should interview 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,

“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 those Nigerians in prisons without rendering commensurate services.

Doddy, who will be 69 later in the year, added   that the other issue that was of great concern to him was the humanitarian matter concerning Nigerians in Tanzania.

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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.

Doddy also complained of rampant stereotype issues against any Nigerian entering Tanzania, noting that every Nigerian in Tanzania is seen as a drug trafficker.

He called on the Nigerian government to exact pressure on officials of Tanzania to respect their own rules even though diplomatic missions cannot interfere with judicial processes of other countries.

In her response,  Dabiri-Erewa, thanked him for his concern for the 27 Nigerians in Tanzanian prisons.

“We will look at these matters and ensure that justice is done quickly,” she said.

She assured that the new Nigeria High Commissioner in Tanzania, would be alerted to take up the issues.

She also appealed to Nigerians wherever they go to continue to remain good ambassadors of Nigeria.

According to her, a percentage of bad eggs in the society should not lead to the entire nation being stereotyped, stressing that they were good Nigerians portraying the country in a good light.

For the woman sentenced to life imprisonment in Tanzania, Dabiri-Erewa,  noted that she would have to serve her term in Tanzanian prison as there is no transfer treaty between Nigeria and Tanzania.