Nigeria’s Ambassador to Brazil, Mr. Vincent Okoedion, said
there are over 500 Nigerians serving jail terms in Brazil for drug peddling and
related offences, affirming that many Nigerians are residing in the
country without proper documentation .
Ambassador Okoedion , who disclosed this in an interview in
Brasilia while meeting officials of Air Air, who were in the country to secure
traffic rights from the Brazilian authorities to commence flights.
He said the high commission will continue to ensure that
Nigerians in the country are engaged in legitimate business.
He said, ” We have many Nigerians who are in prison in this
country. The numbers of Nigerians who are in prison in this country are about
500, including men and women. it is the group that are actually the main
concern of the mission’ because we know that prison is not the place where our
people should be in Brazil and what more they are the majority of Africans in
prison in this country.
“So we visit them in prison especially during the festivals that
are observed in this country like Easter and Christmas. We take to them
essential items that they need like toiletries mainly. So they are the subject
of on going discussions between the mission and the host government.We also
hold meetings with the community to let them know that they should be law
abiding and that the police would not go after them if they obey the law of the
land. It is only when the police see them engaging in illegal activities that
the police will harass them. And then we also know that we have to a credible
community leadership or association. That way, it makes it easier for us to
deal with them as a group. So we can work them through their leaders. So right
now we are trying to organise elections both for Nigerians as a community and
Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation .”
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