Hon Osaze Osemwegie-Ero is a former Commissioner for Arts, Culture and Diaspora Affairs in Edo State. After he regained freedom from detention in Italy on trumped-up charges of belonging to a Mafia cult group, Hon. Ero has taken the gauntlet on behalf of other Nigerians languishing in Italian jails on the same charges that were slapped on him by the Italian authorities. In this interview with Bob MajiriOghene Etemiku, Hon. Ero highlights steps that Nigeria can take to release Nigerians languishing in Italian jails.
Tell us about your protest to the Italian Embassies in Lagos and London.
I led a protest to Italian Consulate in Lagos on the 26th of August 2021. The police prevented the families of those in prison from joining me at the protest for reasons best known to them. The following month, September 30th, 2021 to be precise, I led another protest to the Italian Embassy in London where I submitted my petition to the Italian Government.
What was this protest about? Our readers are eager to know.
Yes, my protest and petition highlighted the miscarriage of justice in their trumped-up Nigerian Mafia charges in Italy without evidence of the allegations. Some of the people arrested were released at their appeal hearing. Unfortunately, it ends there because there was no follow-up from the Nigerian government. The former Minister of Foreign Affairs did not even bother to intervene in the matter. A petition was sent through the office of the Chairperson of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission to the Minister of Justice as well as the Minister of Foreign Affairs but nothing came out of it. It was very, very disappointing. The prosecutors in Torino threw a deaf hear to the protest because of the level of corruption over there. They collect funding from the European Union and arrest innocent Nigerians in the name of fighting organised crimes (Nigerian Mafia). The wives, children and families of these people in maximum security are all suffering as well.
What do you think the Nigerian government can do to release these Nigerians languishing in jails in Italy and Europe?
The Nigerian Government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should ask questions about this Nigerian Mafia acts. Let them bring evidence of these allegations. The National Assembly, both Senate and the House of Reps, should get involved in questioning the Italian Ambassador. I have been there and it is all propaganda and total discrimination because our government does not seem to give a care about us as long it is not their children involved and this is not fair. I hope this new Foreign Affairs Minister Ambassador Tugar will try to look at these issues. I tried contacting him last time but he asked me to meet with his Director of Legal. I feel for the ones I left behind who are still in Torino Prison sentenced to 10 to 12 years with no evidence of the Mafia act (Article 416 Bis) committed.
