Former senator criticises minister for dancing with inmates in Ethiopia

Journalist and ex-senator Babafemi Ojudu has spoken out against the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu. This comes after a video went viral showing her dancing with Nigerian inmates during her recent visit to a prison in Ethiopia.

Mr Ojudu, who represented Ekiti Central Senatorial District from 2011 to 2015 and served as Special Adviser on Political Matters to former President Muhammadu Buhari, said the minister’s actions sent the wrong message about crime, punishment, and leadership.

In a statement he shared on social media, Mr Ojudu questioned if the scene from the minister’s visit was appropriate. “I watched it several times, hoping there was some context I had missed,” he wrote.

He asked, “If the goal was to negotiate the return of Nigerian prisoners, could that not have been done with dignity, sobriety, and a clear sense of the gravity of the situation?”

The former senator stated that prisons are places for punishment, reflection, and rehabilitation, not for celebration. “Public officials must be careful not to blur those distinctions.”

Mr Ojudu also raised concerns about the message such images send to law-abiding citizens and young Nigerians. “What does it say to those who have obeyed the law, endured hardship, and resisted the temptation to seek prosperity through crime?” he questioned.

He added, “And what does it say to the international community about our national values?” He acknowledged that governments should protect citizens abroad and ensure their humane treatment. Yet, he pointed out that there is a difference between defending rights and appearing to glorify wrongdoing.

Mr Ojudu concluded that the incident highlighted larger issues about standards in public office and national representation. “It is a troubling image. And it should trouble both the rulers and the ruled,” he said.

Minister’s visit

The criticism follows Mrs Odumegwu-Ojukwu’s trip to the Aba Samuel Prison in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She met with Nigerian inmates shortly after Nigeria and Ethiopia signed a prisoner transfer agreement.

During her visit, the minister promised the inmates that the Nigerian government would continue to care for their welfare. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the agreement will let convicted Nigerians serving sentences in Ethiopia and Ethiopians in Nigeria complete their jail terms in their home countries.

The minister stated that the agreement was founded on humanity, justice, and cooperation between the two countries. She also urged Nigerians living abroad to follow the laws of their host countries and assured them that the government would protect citizens facing legal issues overseas.

PREMIUM TIMES reported on Wednesday that Nigeria and Ethiopia signed an agreement allowing the transfer of over 100 Nigerian prisoners currently in Ethiopian jails. The agreement was signed during a visit to Addis Ababa by Mrs Odumegwu-Ojukwu and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi.

This visit followed President Tinubu’s order to bring home Nigerian nationals serving prison sentences in Ethiopia. At the signing event, Mrs Odumegwu-Ojukwu said the agreement was needed because long diplomatic and legal processes had delayed the transfer of inmates.

“Four Nigerian prisoners have died during the time it has taken for negotiations, judicial vetting, and this final ratification process,” the minister mentioned. “We are determined to bring home the living.”

The welfare of Nigerians in Ethiopian prisons has been a long-standing issue. Reports over the years have pointed out overcrowding, poor medical care, inadequate food, and limited legal support in some facilities.

In 2023, the Nigerian Senate ordered an investigation into the imprisonment of hundreds of Nigerians in Ethiopian prisons due to public concerns about their conditions and access to justice. The current debate sparked by the minister’s visit has shifted focus from the prisoner transfer agreement to questions about public conduct and how officials engage with citizens in prison abroad.