Nigerian languishes in Indian prison unable to pay for own repatriation

Adam Oladetan, 32, a Nigerian national, is languishing in a Kolkata prison in India after serving his jail term, because he has not been able to pay for his repatriation to Nigeria.

Mr. Oladetan still has to raise N74, 000 ($235) to complete the N220, 000 ($700) needed for his repatriation.

PREMIUM TIMES learned that the man, who served time at the Presidency Correctional Home in Kolkata, completed his sentence on April 9, but is still being held at the prison because he could not raise the money required to fly him back to Nigeria.

According to the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, CHRI, one of the conditions of his release from prison was that he should raise the fund needed to repatriate him to Nigeria.

After a fund-raising appeal by CHRI, friends of Mr. Oladetan were able to raise $465 which still falls short of the $700 required to pay his air fare back to Nigeria.

Mr. Oladetan will continue to be incarcerated in the prison despite being set free about a month ago.

Though the Nigerian High Commission in New Delhi verified his nationality and subsequently issued him an Emergency Travel Certificate, which would enable him fly to Nigeria, the commission, however, is unable to pay for the travel tickets required to send him back home.

When contacted, an official of the Nigerian High Commission in India said they were closed for the day.

“It is sad to hear that Adam cannot come home because raising money for that is a condition for his release! I wonder how a detained man is expected to raise money for his ‘repatriation’,” said a source involved in fund-raising, who asked not to be identified.