TUNDE THOMAS

The Federal Government has been implored to take urgent steps to save the lives of three Nigerians who have been on hunger strike inside Kuwait Prison since November 1.

Making the appeal in a statement jointly signed in Lagos after a special meeting of Prison Rehabilitation Mission International (PREMI),the Osile Oke-Ona Egba, Oba Adedapo Adewale Tejuoso, who doubles as the chairman, PREMI Governing Council and PREMI Director-General, Bishop Kayode Williams, implored President Muhammadu Buhari to order the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Nigerian Embassy in Kuwait to liaise with the government of Kuwait to ensure that the three Nigerians, Muhammud Ayodele, Abdulkareem Sasily Ishola and Odo Raymond Origoh, who were reported to be very sickly were repatriated to Nigeria on compassionate ground to complete their various jail terms.

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According to Oba Tejuoso and Williams, “from the reports made available to PREMI, it was learnt that these three Nigerians embarked on hunger strike following alleged unfair trial, and in- adequate legal representation to defend themselves of various allegations made against them, but now that the lives of these three Nigerians are being endangered as a result of the hunger strike, PREMI humbly appeals to President Buhari on humanitarian ground to use his good office to take up the case of these three Nigerians by calling on the Kuwaiti government to repatriate them to Nigeria, where they can be well taken care of, and also serve out their jail sentences.” While expressing appreciation to the Federal Government over its granting of such appeals in the past.

The statement added: “PREMI wishes to recall that this is not the first time that we will appeal to the federal government to seek the repatriation of Nigerian prisoners from foreign countries, especially those ones that are sick so as to allow them to come back home to receive adequate medical attention and also complete their jail terms in Nigeria, and we are happy that government has been granting our requests just like in the case of some Nigerian prisoners who were repatriated from Thailand some years ago based on PREMI’s appeal.

It was PREMI that took the initiative, which was granted them by the Federal Government.

On the present case of three Nigerians on hunger strike in Kuwait, we are appealing to the federal government again to facilitate their repatriation from Kuwait to Nigeria, where they will receive adequate treatment and also serve out their prison terms.”