The National Conference Committee on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora Matters said on Tuesday that no fewer than 2,048 Nigerians are serving various jail terms abroad.
The committee, headed by former Under-Secretary General of UN, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, said this in its report to the conference.
He said that more than 752 Nigerians were serving various terms in British prisons, while another 700 were currently in China and 500 in India prisons.
The committee stated that 96 Nigerians were in jail in Indonesia out of which 23 had been on death row.
The report recalled that the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, had proposed that Nigerian prisoners in Britain should be repatriated in a prisoner exchange programme.
“We noted that it is the duty of Nigeria to protect and defend the interests of its nationals wherever they are (even in prison).
“The extent to which it can engage in prisoner exchange is very limited.
“This is given the fact that its hands are full and the state of prisons could not be compared to the international standards.
“Nonetheless, the committee recommends that where it is established that a prisoner serving in a foreign jail is a Nigerian, he or she deserves a prisoner swap or exchange,” it stated.
The committee recommended that Nigerian prisoners serving outside the country could be repatriated home to complete their jail terms.
It, however, said those willing to return home to complete their jail terms must be screened to ascertain whether they were actually Nigerians or not.
“In light of revealing cases of foreign convicts bearing Nigerian passports in foreign jails, it is necessary to fully screen such to affirm the claim before any prisoner exchange is undertaken.”
The committee noted the hard work of Nigerians in Diaspora, which it said, remitted about 22 billion dollars and 21 billion dollars in 2012 and 2013 respectively to Nigeria.
It explained that the remittances represented a sizeable percentage of foreign transactions, investments, and charitable donations of medical equipment and year-round medical missions to support healthcare delivery in the country.
NAN reports that Gambari, while presenting the report, said Nigerian professionals and businessmen abroad had the capacity and were willing to contribute significantly to the socioeconomic development of Nigeria.
He, however, noted that the country must establish the appropriate platform to tap into these enormous resources.
He added that tapping the enormous financial and human resources available in Diaspora would be of tremendous benefit to the citizens both at home and abroad.
The former UN envoy urged Nigerians to stop insulting their country abroad, saying it was wrong for Nigerians to take their grievances abroad.
The committee’s report, which is being debated by delegates, is the 15th out of 20 to be presented, while it is expected to be adopted after the debate. (NAN)