100 NIGERIANS IMPRISONED IN CHAD

By Olisa Ifeajika

The Embassy of Nigeria in Chad on Friday said no fewer than 102 Nigerians were in the country’s prisons, serving varying jail terms.

Charge d’Affaires in the embassy Mr Nasiru Waje disclosed this in N’djamena to some Nigerian journalists on a working visit to Chad.

He said that the inmates, some of whom had not been convicted, were in various prisons across the country.

Waje, however, stated that 39 of the prisoners had regained freedom following the intervention of the embassy.

He said that the Nigerians were held for various offences, including smuggling and attempting to use routes in the country to enter Europe.

The envoy also said that 8, 000 persons who fled communities in the North-East due to persisting Boko Haram crises, were in Chad and had been registered as refugees.

He said that additional 5,000 victims of the insurgency were registered by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNCHR), adding that there were many other unregistered refugees also in Chad, from Yobe.

Waje said that Nigeria and Chad had very cordial relationship, stemming from their linguistic, religious and cultural closeness “and existing feeling of oneness among their border communities.”

He added that both countries had five agreements which he noted had strengthened the relationship.

According to him, the agreements are: Security Co-operation Agreement, Bilateral Trade Agreement, Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement, Bilateral Air Service Agreement and Waiver of Residence Permit Payment for their nationals.