The presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has applauded the news of the conclusion of the prisoner exchange between Nigeria and Ethiopia.
In a statement on Tuesday, Obi commended the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Attorney General Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), and their Ethiopian counterparts for finally concluding the protracted negotiations.
He, however, lamented that at least four Nigerian citizens lost their lives in custody while the diplomatic and administrative process dragged on over the past few years.
Obi said, ” While we commend this humanitarian intervention, it serves as a reminder of a larger systemic crisis.
The overwhelming majority of these citizens are young Nigerians.
A significant number were arrested while transiting through Addis Ababa’s Bole International Airport in search of green pastures.
While we must continuously urge our citizens to remain law-abiding and respect the laws of host nations wherever they travel or reside, we must also ask ourselves a hard question: What drives our young and productive population into desperate circumstances across the globe?”
