Nigerian student in north Cyprus might not be able to return after he was arrested and detained by police in Benin republic

A Nigerian student in north Cyprus who traveled to Nigeria in February for holiday but decided to make a quick stop in Benin Republic so as to see his sister is alleged to have been arrested and detained by police there.

According to report by Nigerian blogger, Sahara Reporters, Okail Illemona Shedrack, who is a student t the Cyprus International University in North Cyprus has been kept in detention for close to five weeks by policemen in Benin Republic.

He was reportedly going to Nigeria from Cyprus for holiday in February when he decided to spend some time in Benin Republic to see his sister.

He was arrested by the police on February 7, 2023, and taken into detention and his offence is still unknown. 

According to SaharaReporters, it was learnt that despite the student’s family members’ visits to the station on several occasions, the police failed to release him or disclose his offence.

He is also said to be on the verge of losing his student status for failing to attend lectures.

Someone who has information about the situation told the blog; 

“A student from Cyprus was coming from Cyprus to Nigeria for holiday but branched into Benin Republic to see his sister. They went out to flex and he went out to make a call. As he was making the call, he saw policemen and they took him away, without telling him what his offense was.

“They took him to the station and his family members have been trying to sort and pay but they didn’t free him.

“He is a very active student of Cyprus International University and school has resumed. He may lose his studentship soon and his visa revoked over non-attendance of classes.

“The family has been trying to get lawyers but lawyers are just collecting money without doing anything. Now his court case is today, 9th of March, 2023. The lawyer they got asked them to pay N5 million before he can start or go to court.

“The point now is that the student didn’t do anything; they arrested him for no offence but just normal raiding and they saw that they can get money from him so they detained him.

“I was told NANS (National Association of Nigerian Students) people called the Ambassador to Benin Republic and the man sent someone to check and confirm maybe he is in detention. He did that and didn’t do anything further. He claimed that there are many Nigerians in the prison. Imagine, my brother, an Ambassador of a country being happy his people are rotting in prison in another country, is that a good word from him?

“He has not been doing anything at all. The NANS guys even requested him to please assist the family in getting a truthful and trustworthy lawyer who will charge less to defend this guy but this Ambassador didn’t respond.

“We heard that Benin Republic authorities are using this imprisonment as a means of raising funds. United Nations and other organizations give each prisoner a certain sum of amount ($900) which is going to the account of the sector.

“So, they use this money gotten from this to build their nation and do other things. That is why they give long-term jail terms to prisoners. Nigerians are the ones with the largest number in these Benin Republic prisons. This is uncalled for and it’s unjust.

“Nigeria should focus more on this through the Ambassador but I think he is clueless, not active at all. Sadly, this is happening in a neighbouring country which we share a boundary with.”

A message sent to Abdur-Rahman Balogun, Head of Media and Public Relations Unit at the Nigerians In Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) on his mobile phone was not immediately replied to at the time of filing this report.