The Federal Government of Nigeria has called on the Government of India and relevant Indian authorities to guarantee the humane treatment, welfare, safety and protection of the fundamental human rights of Nigerian citizens who are currently held in various custodial centers, detention facilities and correctional institutions across the Republic of India.

The appeal was made by the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, during a high-level bilateral meeting with a joint delegation of the National Human Rights Commissions of Nigeria and India, which paid a courtesy visit to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at Tafawa Balewa House in Abuja on Tuesday.

In a press statement issued today by the Ministry’s spokesperson, Mr. Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, who is also the Special Assistant on Media and Communications Strategy to the Minister, the Minister expressed deep concern over reports and complaints regarding the treatment, living conditions and welfare of Nigerians in Indian custody and called for urgent remedial action.

Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu, who is Nigeria’s top diplomat and a former Ambassador to Spain, told the joint delegation that Nigeria is worried about the plight, conditions and circumstances of its nationals who are serving various jail terms or awaiting trial in Indian prisons, stressing that they deserve to be treated with dignity, humanity and respect for their fundamental rights.

According to the statement, the Minister emphasized that even though some Nigerians may have run afoul of Indian laws and are facing prosecution or have been convicted for various offences, they remain human beings whose fundamental human rights, dignity and welfare must be protected and respected in line with international best practices, United Nations standards and global human rights conventions.

She noted that the Nigerian Government is not seeking to interfere in the judicial process of India nor asking for preferential treatment for Nigerians who have committed crimes, but is only asking for fair treatment, humane conditions, access to legal representation, medical care and respect for the dignity and rights of Nigerian nationals in Indian custody as enshrined in international law.

The Minister stressed that the protection of vulnerable persons, including persons in detention, prisoners, persons awaiting trial and other persons in custodial centers, as well as unfettered access to justice, fair hearing and due process, must remain central, cardinal and pivotal to the growing human rights cooperation, partnership and collaboration between Nigeria and India.

Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu said Nigeria and India have enjoyed long-standing, cordial and mutually beneficial bilateral relations spanning several decades, covering areas such as trade, investment, education, health, defense and cultural exchange, and therefore both countries should work together to ensure that the rights and welfare of each other’s citizens are protected and guaranteed.

She commended the National Human Rights Commissions of both countries for initiating and strengthening collaboration in the area of human rights promotion and protection, noting that such collaboration is timely, commendable and necessary given the increasing number of Nigerians living in India and Indians living in Nigeria for business, education, medical tourism and other legitimate activities.

The Minister expressed optimism that the Memorandum of Understanding, MOU, recently signed between the National Human Rights Commission of Nigeria and the National Human Rights Commission of India will provide a robust framework for addressing human rights concerns, sharing best practices, building capacity and ensuring that citizens of both countries are treated with dignity and respect.

According to her, the MOU, which covers areas such as exchange of information, joint training programmes, technical assistance, mutual support at international fora and collaboration on investigation of human rights violations, will go a long way in strengthening the institutional capacity of both commissions to better protect and promote human rights in their respective countries.

She urged the Indian National Human Rights Commission to use its good offices, influence and mandate to intervene in the case of Nigerians in Indian custodial centers, to ensure that their conditions of detention meet international standards, that they have access to consular services, legal aid and medical care, and that their fundamental rights are not violated or trampled upon.

The Minister also called on the Indian authorities to ensure that Nigerian prisoners are not subjected to torture, inhuman or degrading treatment, racial discrimination or any form of cruel punishment, but are treated in a manner that respects their inherent dignity as human beings and gives them opportunity for reformation, rehabilitation and reintegration into society.

In his response, the leader of the Indian delegation and representative of the National Human Rights Commission of India thanked the Minister for her warm reception, concern and frankness, assuring her that the Indian Government and its human rights commission are committed to protecting the rights of all persons in India, including foreigners, irrespective of nationality or offense committed.

He said India as a democratic country that upholds the rule of law, respect for human rights and independence of the judiciary, has put in place mechanisms to ensure that prisoners, including foreign nationals, are treated humanely and that their rights are protected, adding that the concerns raised by Nigeria will be conveyed to the appropriate authorities in New Delhi for necessary action.

On his part, the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission of Nigeria, Dr. Tony Ojukwu, SAN, who led the Nigerian delegation, commended Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu for her intervention and advocacy on behalf of Nigerians in Indian custody, describing her as a champion of human rights and a true representative of Nigerian interests abroad.

Dr. Ojukwu said the collaboration between the two human rights commissions will open new vistas for addressing cross-border human rights issues, protecting the rights of migrants, prisoners and other vulnerable groups, and ensuring that Nigerians abroad and foreigners in Nigeria are treated with fairness, justice and respect for their fundamental human rights and dignity.

He assured the Minister that the Nigerian National Human Rights Commission will continue to work closely with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Nigerian Embassy in New Delhi and other relevant agencies to monitor the conditions of Nigerians in Indian prisons, provide necessary assistance and ensure that their rights are not violated or abused by any authority.

Meanwhile, stakeholders in the human rights community have welcomed the Federal Government’s intervention, describing it as a bold, timely and commendable step towards protecting the rights and welfare of Nigerians in diaspora who are in detention, noting that many Nigerians in foreign jails face harsh conditions, discrimination and lack of access to justice and consular assistance.

They called on the Federal Government to extend similar advocacy to other countries where Nigerians are in custody, including Libya, Italy, United Kingdom, United States and other Asian countries, and to establish a comprehensive database, monitoring mechanism and welfare scheme for Nigerians in foreign prisons to ensure that their rights, dignity and welfare are protected and that they receive necessary support.

As Nigeria and India continue to deepen their partnership in human rights protection through the MoU signed by their respective National Human Rights Commissions, many Nigerians are hopeful that the intervention by Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu will lead to improved conditions, better treatment and respect for the fundamental rights of Nigerians held in custodial centers across India.