Nigerian inmates at AbaSamuel Prisons in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, have been seen celebrating the intervention of the federal government of Nigeria after the administration of President Bola Tinubu successfully completed their transfer from the East African country to their home country.
Joyful Scene at Ethiopian Prison
The video of the joyful moment was shared by Dada Olusegun, the special assistant to the president on social media, who explained that the development came after Nigeria completed the bilateral Prisoner Transfer Agreement with Ethiopia. In the viral video, the inmates were seen with President Tinubu's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu. Some of them were exchanging handshakes with him, hailing and telling her that they really appreciated her.
Olusegun wrote: "Nigerian inmates at AbaSamuel Prisons in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, have expressed profound joy and appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, following the successful conclusion of the bilateral Prisoner Transfer Agreement between Nigeria and the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia."
Mixed Reactions from Nigerians
Meanwhile, Nigerians have started expressing their mixed feelings about the development. Below are some of their comments:
- Badman Jr expressed worries that the prisoners are from the Southeast: "Honestly, I'm an Igbo man, but I can say we're the most useless and foolish tribe in the world; our people are full of all the prisons in other countries. I'm so ashamed to come from this nonsense tribe."
- Jagabanolu said the prisoners should have been allowed to complete their jail term in Ethiopia: "What a big disgrace... criminals went abroad to commit a crime but want to be treated like they did not commit a crime. These criminals should have served their jail time in Ethiopia and then been deported back to Nigeria at the end of their sentence... These Nigerians should be ashamed of themselves... disgracing Nigeria abroad!"
- Ben Samuel criticized the Nigerian government: "Only they know what awaits them under Tinubu in Nigeria. Those who aren't already in prison are living like prisoners, terrified of terrorists, plagued by ransom demands, and watching food prices triple within three years. Nigerians at home are no better off; many have been forced into the forests. As for Nigerian prisoners, they might as well be living in a graveyard without any basic human rights whatsoever."
- Jay said the move should not be Nigeria's priority: "And we have to waste resources/diplomacy because of this? We are battling with insecurity at home, and we are also planning to bring back criminal elements (without remorse) to the country? We are clearly sending a wrong message, and we will be here when this does a 360 on us all."
Background on Tinubu's Diplomatic Efforts
Legit.ng earlier reported that President Bola Tinubu's minister of state for foreign affairs, Bianca Ojukwu, has disclosed what happened between the president and former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi. Bianca, in a Facebook post, explained that what happened was a mere pleasantries between the two political leaders. The minister then condemned the ethnical interpretation some Nigerians have given to the event between Tinubu and Peter Obi at the Vatican on Sunday, May 23.
