The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa yesterday said seven of the Nigerians held in Cotonou have been released by the Beninoise police.
About 50 Nigerians were wrongfully arrested and detained by police officers in Benin Republic on various yet-to-be confirmed crimes.
Mrs. Dabiri-Erewa gave assurance that the Nigerian High Commission in Benin Republic would ensure that justice was done.
She said the police complained that many of those arrested were involved in various cybercrimes. Mrs. Dabiri-Erewa said only 13 were arrested and seven have been freed.
She said: “However, seven of the arrested Nigerian students have been released following the Embassy’s intervention.
“A scheduled meeting with the prosecutor will hold tomorrow morning over the charges against them. After the meeting, the Embassy would be in a better position to give a detailed account of the case.
“So far, Ambassador Oguntunase Kayode, the Nigerian High Commissioner moved in promptly and will ensure investigation is thorough. For now, we also appeal to the parents and their children to keep calm and work with us to get to the end of the matter.”
Mr. Femi Akinwande, MD/CEO, FEMAK Markalyn & CTI Nigeria Limited, insisted that the number of Nigerians in that Cotonou prison, besides the students, are over fifty.
“This is serious situation that the Nigerian government needs to thoroughly investigate,”; he said.
He added that even those released, whom the police clearly affirmed they found no incriminating evidence on them, have not been given their mobile phones and laptops seized from them at the point of arrests.
