We’re Suffering From Cardiac Arrest, Kidney Complications – Over 300 Nigerians Languishing In Ethiopian Prison Seek Help

In an open letter to the President, the inmates said most of them are suffering from precarious health issues.

Some Nigerian nationals who have been detained in the Kaliti Prison, Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital city, have cried out for help.

They have again appealed to the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government to come to their aids.

SaharaReporters had reported that over 300 Nigerians were presently languishing in the Ethiopian prison facility.

They were arrested over allegations of possession of hard drugs and money laundering.

In an open letter to the President, the inmates said most of them are suffering from precarious health issues.

They also complained about the kind of food they are being served.

The letter read, “Nigeria inmates of the Ethiopian Kality maximum security prison in Addis Ababa numbering approximately 300 (three hundred) serving jail terms ranging from 3 years to 18 years sentences are hereby sending out this appeal to the designated authorities of the Nigerian government to intervene urgently in our situation.

“The overall condition in Kaliti prison is bearing hard on majority Nigerian and other inmates. Basically, the health infrastructure is very weak and inmates suffering from precarious health issues are going through health crisis. Some of the inmates who have complicated health issues are not getting the supply of their prescribed and dedicated medications which they have been using prior to their incarceration.

“The prison health authorities themselves admitted to the non-availability of most of those drugs in the country and have indeed advised the patients seek other sources of supply, a condition that is unattainable considering the incarceration status of the patients. Communication with friends and family outside of Ethiopia is impossible even though a communication channel is available to communicate locally and majority of the inmates neither have friends nor relatives in the country, thereby leaving patients in limbo.

“We have cases of two inmates specifically who have cardiac complications and whose drugs have long been depleted but have to make do with aspirin which is what the prison health Care authority could provide. Both of these patients suffers periodical crisis of cardiac situation and it’s frightening to the rest of the inmates that the crisis may probably be the last for any of those two. There are cases of epilepsy, spinal cord injury, kidney complications that has resulted swollen legs and psychiatric issues.

“The Nigeria embassy has been made aware of some of these cases and we are indeed convinced that they embassy officials are doing the best they can within the framework of the Ethiopian bureaucratic bottleneck. 

“The feeding situation is appealing, though the authority is officially feeding the inmates on just White rice and bread and they indeed provide a kitchen for prisoners. The rice goes without sauce and inmates are expected to provide sauce for themselves. This is having an enormous strain on the financial condition of inmates who has no access to fund, at the end of the day most are compelled to do with the lone White rice and this kind of diet is creating health complications with most inmates especially those of medium age who suffers from optical problem and diabetic inmates.

“These problems appear to be beyond the capacity of the prison to resolve and to the prisoners the conditions are aggravating with time hence our appeal for humanitarian intervention before lives were lost due to the precarious health condition. The rest of the inmates who have no health complications are also pleading for leniency and are indeed remorseful of their actions and are seeking a second chance if the Nigeria government is magnanimous enough to rescue them out of incarceration.

“We appeal to the government and our good compatriots to forgive our mistakes as most of us are not criminally minded and promised to be faithful and loyal citizens and be good ambassadors of our great and beloved country. If a son has offended the father and later come back to plead for forgiveness; we believe that the father will consider him and forgive him. We hope, believed and looking forward to your positive intervention sooner.”