AfriPulse
Human rights lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, has petitioned the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, seeking urgent intervention in the plight of more than 200 Nigerians allegedly languishing in prisons across the Republic of Benin under degrading conditions.
In a letter dated September 16, 2025 and made available to THE WHISTLER on Wednesday, Adeyanju, who is counsel to some of the detainees including Ekene Bonaventure, Chigozie Chiedozie and Hassan Ebbe, said the majority of the prisoners are indigent Nigerians who have been subjected to “arbitrary detention without trial.”
“Our clients as well as other indigent Nigerians are detained without formal charges, access to fair trial, fair hearing, amounting to harsh, inhuman and degrading treatment,” Adeyanju stated.
He warned that the detainees have been denied access to lawyers, medical treatment and basic amenities, leaving them vulnerable to prolonged incarceration. He added that the conditions had already claimed lives.
“In fact, the same has resulted in the recent death of one Salami Deyomi, from Lagos State, who died due to overcrowding in the prison cell and lack of medical attention,” he revealed.
Adeyanju stressed that the development contravenes binding international instruments signed by Nigeria and Benin Republic, including the ECOWAS Protocol on Free Movement of Persons, Residence and Establishment as well as the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
“This situation is not only a gross violation of the fundamental rights of these Nigerians but also contravenes internationally accepted human rights standards,” he said.
In his petition, the lawyer called on the Senate to urgently intervene by mandating a fact-finding mission through its Committees on Foreign Affairs, Diaspora Relations and Human Rights, and to compel the Ministry of Foreign Affairs alongside the Nigerian Embassy in Cotonou to secure consular access for the detainees.
He further urged the legislature to mount diplomatic pressure on the Republic of Benin to ensure compliance with ECOWAS and African Union human rights standards.
“The credibility of our dear country Nigeria is measured by how strongly it defends the rights and dignity of its citizens both at home and abroad,” Adeyanju told the Senate.
The petition, which included a list of detainees, was also copied to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM).
Source: TheWhistler | Read the Full Story…
