Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), has recently been criticized for omitting key details about Emma Ihejirika’s case, a Nigerian who had been sentenced to death in Indonesia.
Ihejirika, who was on death row for drug trafficking, has now been freed after years in prison due to a case of mistaken identity.
While announcing Ihejirika’s release, Dabiri-Erewa praised Barrister Emmanuel Isha Ogebe, a Nigerian lawyer in Washington D.C., for his pro bono legal efforts that led to the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the death sentence. However, she did not mention that Ihejirika’s conviction was based on a case of mistaken identity, a detail that has raised concerns about her hates against the Igbo.
Ogebe, had took Ihejirika’s case after believing that his conviction was a result of mistaken identity. His legal efforts ultimately led to a successful outcome.
The X community quickly pointed out the misleading nature of Dabiri-Erewa tweet, clarifying that Ihejirika’s imprisonment was a result of mistaken identity, which was deliberately omitted by her.
Ogebe’s relentless legal efforts, based on the belief that Ihejirika’s conviction was flawed, ultimately led to the Supreme Court overturning the death sentence.
The statement also recognized the vital support of Nigerian Charge d’Affaires in Indonesia, Patricia Alechenu, whose assistance was instrumental in achieving this favorable outcome.
NN News Media reminds us that Dabiri-Erewa has previously faced accusations of bias in handling cases of ethnic discrimination involving Nigerians abroad.
