Paul Ohia and Chinedu Eze
2 October 2009
Lagos — As Nigerians on death row in Libya continue to mull over their fate, the country has deported yet another batch of 734 people.
THISDAY learnt that some of those returned home were sentenced to life imprisonment but later pardoned by the President Muammar Ghaddafi Government.
The North African nation also claims the latest deportees were sent packing for other offences ranging from illegal immigration to criminal activities.
The 734 Nigerians were deported in four days through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
Of this number, the last group arrived the country Tuesday, September 29, on the same aircraft. There were 134 people comprising 88 females and 46 males.
In addition to those sent home earlier, there are now 1,214 that have been forcefully removed from the country within two months.
In August, Libya deported about 330 Nigerians and another 150 later in the month of September.
The 150, all male were rteturned in a Libyan aircraft with registration number, SUBME.
The sorrowful countenance of the deportees mirrored vividly the horror of their experiences and the tragic pain of being forcefully returned home after their sojourn overseas.
They were handed over to the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) at disembarkation at the airport.
THISDAY learnt from NIS that the deportees, many of whom have been handed over to their families, were removed from Libya because they did not have the required papers for legal stay in the country.
Many of them allegedly arrived the country claiming refugee status in order to secure them legal status, after which they would plan to cross over to Europe through Spain.
The NIS has condemned the action of these Nigerians, saying that they expose themselves to untimely death in the process of running away from their fatherland.
Only recently, a ship full of illegal immigrants capsized off the coast of Spain. Many of the immigrants were Africans, Nigerians included.
Libyan government has indicated that it will remove all illegal immigrants from the country.
Meanwhile, Miss Glory Paul-Amanze who was interviewed on phone by THISDAY early this week from Jabida Prison in Tripoli said Nigerian embassy officials besieged the prisons to secure the release of those sentenced to life imprisonment and later pardoned.
She was now speaking from Ago Palace way in Lagos.
"First of all we were told that our sentences have been reduced to 21 years imprisonment but later they came to tell us that we have been pardoned," she told THISDAY yesterday.
Paul-Amanze has been in prison since 2003 and her brother who was sentenced with her, Mr. Nwaokomah Nduaguibe died in the prison.
"We went to look for money when Nigeria was getting difficult and we found ourselves in this ugly situation. Please tell everybody to forgive. We do not want to die or our bodies cremated. we wish to see our families again. We beg our dear President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua to come and get us out. We promise to be good citizens in Nigeria. We also urge our kind mother, Dora Akunyili to beg the president on our behalf" Miss Paul-Amanze had told THISDAY early this week.
According to her, another death row prisoner, Miss Juliet Okoro who spoke to THISDAY also has been pardoned and awaiting deportation.
Okoro had told THISDAY on phone from the same prison that the accusation of murder for which she has been placed on death row since 2000 was forged and her indictment followed no legal representation.
The effort to get all Nigerians languishing in Libyan prisons started after the House of Representatives Committee on the Diaspora, Hon Abike Dabiri drew the attention of Nigerians to the issue and the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), a non-governmental organisation (NGO) mandated its lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana to file an application at African Commission on Human Rights ACHR in Banjul, Gambia.
ACHR subsequently urged the Chairman of the African Union (AU), President Muammar Ghaddafi to suspend the execution of Nigerians on death row in his country.
President Ghaddafi responded to the African Commission's order for a suspension this week.
The halt in their execution was made pending the final determination of the suit filed by SERAP, before the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, in Banjul, The Gambia
The African Commission is the body charged with overseeing compliance with legal obligations under the African Charter on Human and People's Rights.
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I don't know nor I do understand what is the problem with some of our brothers from Nigerian. Damn, every where they go or are, there is problem with them. Their behaviors have created impediment for lots of innocent good Nigerians and other Africans. Libya can not blamed for routing out these dirty criminals from its system. I don't believe Lybia is against anyone living in Libya but the kind of behaviors display by some is totally unacceptable. Even the Nigerian government will not tolerate it!!!
It is a shame!!!
Our father who is at the Au, thou be done as its done in Europe. Give us freedom as its in Europe.Let thier be no killing as its in Sabha deportation camp in libya.Lets Fight for one Africa.As its a shameful thing for African killing fellow Africans.Lets fight for African Freedom as Nelson mandela did for South Africa.Remember what the great Bob marly said before he died "Africa Unite" We have all it takes to unite. What we need is understanding and co-operation.Pls United State Of Africa is the key! Is not a must that all countries should join at once but what matters most is how many countries started the race?How many countries started United Nation? How many are we Today?Africa land is for learders of tomorrow.Please, lets stop killing one another.Deportation is not the answer to Africa problems.From friend2Dworld.
Our father who is at the Au, thou be done as its done in Europe. Give us freedom as its in Europe.Let thier be no killing as its in Sabha deportation camp in libya.Lets Fight for one Africa.As its a shameful thing for African killing fellow Africans.Lets fight for African Freedom as Nelson mandela did for South Africa.Remember what the great Bob marly said before he died "Africa Unite" We have all it takes to unite. What we need is understanding and co-operation.Pls United State Of Africa is the key! Is not a must that all countries should join at once but what matters most is how many countries started the race?How many countries started United Nation? How many are we Today?Africa land is for learders of tomorrow.Please, lets stop killing one another.Deportation is not the answer to Africa problems.From friend2Dworld.
For any Nigerian to blame Libyan Government for Deporting these Nigerians who entered Libya illegally must be ignorant. These Nigerians who got into Libya without proper or legal documents,are part of what is wrong with Nigeria today.Although they're leaving their Country because of the Nigerian culture of corruption Government,it would have been for their own interest to look for a legal means to Libya.Besides getting into Libya through back doors,some Nigerians never fail to start committing crimes ranging from identity thieft,credit card fraud,rape, impersonation,419 and hosts of other criminal activities like some of their Government officials they tend to leave behind in Nigeria.Recently in New York U.S.A,some Nigerians were arrested about 12 of them for all kinds of crimes.[see SaharaReporters.com].All these criminal behaviours by some of these crime minded Nigerians has left a deep scares on those honest and hard working ones all over the Globe.However,the current Administration in Abuja should take some kind of responsibilities for whatever Nigerians are going through economically,Global Economy not withstanding.The Administration unfortunately has nothing to offer Nigerians but corruption which has been its hallmark from the on set."Any Government that serves itself and not the people,do not survive".Nigerian people are hard workers but the Government has flately failed to work hard for them.
Shame on Nigeria for even letting her citizens to go through hell in other countries. Nigeria is richer with oil than Libya. Why can't the government use the resources to make life livable, and create opportunities for all the citizens? It is because the Nigerian Government is so corrupt . No one should blame Libya.