Six convicts have been freed by the Nigerian Correctional Service three years after they were pardoned for drug-related offences.

This is according to a statement by human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), on Sunday titled, ‘Six convicts transferred from Thailand prison released on December 26, 2020’.

The six convicts – Azukaeme Ejikeme, Gloria Ogbonna, Okpala Chibuike, Yakubu Mohammed, Kennedy Tanya and John Smith – were first imprisoned in Thailand and then transferred to the Kirikiri Maximum Correctional Centre, Nigeria on October 2, 2012 under a Prison Exchange Bilateral Programme.

However, in 2017, they were granted a pardon by the Thai King, Maha Vajiralongkorn.

For three years, the convicts were not able to secure their freedom until Falana took up the case in June 2020.

“We confirmed the allegation and decided to launch a legal battle for their release from prison custody,” Falana said.

He said on July 2, 2020 his firm requested the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Godfrey Onyeama, to direct the Nigerian Embassy in Thailand to furnish lawyers with the warrant for the release of the convicts.

Falana added, “The Minister did and the embassy procured and sent six warrants to Nigeria. The warrants were promptly forwarded to us. On August 25, we wrote to the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, urging him to direct the Kirikiri Maximum Correctional Centre to release the convicts from custody.

“As the request was subjected to bureaucratic hiccup, we were compelled to file six applications at the Federal High Court for the immediate release of the convicts.

“Even though the case has been adjourned till January 25, 2021 for definite hearing, the minister granted our request last week for the release of the convicts. Accordingly, they were released on December 26, 2020.”

The senior advocate said he was pursuing the case of two other convicts with similar cases.

The activist said it was unfortunate that the convicts had been detained illegally since 2017 when the Thai King granted them amnesty.

“A few months ago, we also secured the release of an awaiting trial inmate who was charged with armed robbery and abandoned in the same correctional centre.

“The legal advice rendered by the Attorney-General of Lagos State to the effect that he had no case to answer received by the police six years earlier was not transmitted to the Magistrate Court that had remanded him in prison custody,” Falana said.

He argued that both cases called for a comprehensive audit of all inmates in the nation’s correctional centres.

“For instance, 65 convicted soldiers who have met the conditions outlined in the Presidential Amnesty granted to certain categories of prison inmates in April 2020 are still languishing in prison custody.

“They were 66 of them but one of them has been released from prison custody. No reason has been adduced by the prison authorities for not releasing the others,” said Falana.