ITALIAN EMBASSY SHUTDOWN AS PROTESTERS STORM ITS PREMISES, DEMANDS THE RELEASE OF 300 NIGERIANS IN ITALIAN PRISON.

 

The former Commissioner for Arts, Culture, Tourism, and Diaspora Affairs in Edo State, Osaze Osemwengie-Ero, who was recently exonerated from arrest and incarceration in Italy led a peaceful protest yesterday, Thursday 26th of August, at the freedom pack on Lagos Island.

Osemwengie-Ero, who returned to Benin City on Monday after spending 19 months behind bars told journalists during the protest that his experience in detention was quite painful and pathetic. He explained that he was on an official trip to Germany in 2019, for a meeting on the Benin artifact restitution campaign when he was arrested in Amsterdam and detained by the Italian Government.

The ex-commissioner, who commended Governor Godwin Obaseki and the Oba of Benin for their support and show of concern during his ordeal in Italy, said he was a victim of racial discrimination and manipulation of a very corrupt prosecutor of the Italian Justice system.

Speaking further, the former Commissioner disclosed that his reasons for leading a peaceful protest to the Italian Embassy is for the release of over 300 Nigerian youths illegally detained in Italian prisons for trumped-up charges on mafia-related offenses.

He opined that; "The justice system in Italy is complex and corrupt and they manipulate the justice system because they know nobody cares about Nigerians".

According to him, “We have over 300 Nigerian youths in Italian prisons illegally arrested and incarcerated for false allegations of mafia-related crimes.

“I have a list of all of them and I am making contact with their families; I made a promise to them that they will not be forgotten.

When asked by regireports if he organized the protest because of the injustice melted on him in detention. He postulates thus, "I'm doing this protest because I made a vow to God while in detention, I promised God that if he release me from Torino prison I will raise this awareness for the benefits of the rest people left behind.

"The injustice melted on me for 19 months was very unfair, and the reason I'm standing here today to say this is because of who I am, because of my status and because of the people I'm blessed with. I'm very lucky and privileged to have good friends, good families, the governor of Edo state Governor Godwin Obaseki,  the prayer  was effective and that's why I'm here today. and every Nigerian that were praying for me. I knew and I felt it that I was being prayed for, and of course his royal majesty Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku’ Akpolokpolo Ewuare 11. oba ato kpee... Ise.. Oba told the chiefs to pray for me when I was incarcerated and the prayer was effective.

"Those boys and girls that are still in prison do not have that privilege and luck, so someone needs to come out and speak on their behalf, that's what I promised God and that's what I'm doing today and nobody can stop me. I'm very happy that my friends believe in my conviction and they are here with me to support me.

"I still have their continuous support so that these innocent people can be released from prison. Their families, wives and children are suffering as well, just the same way mine suffered. So these things shouldn't be happening.

"I'm not blaming the Nigerian government or the Ambassador for not doing what they were supposed to do. That is their business, but again election is coming up in 2023 we must ensure that the people we vote into power are people that will be held responsible for the offices they are occupying, I'm not talking about politics, I'm not campaigning but when the time comes I think we will be a voice that will let the world know that we cannot just put people in positions, whether elective or appointed, let them be responsible and held  accountable for what they are doing.

"Why should a senior government official like me on official duty, a serving commissioner be arrested in diaspora and can not get the full support of the Nigeria government? Nobody came out. 

"The minister of foreign affairs, Johnson Onyema did not come out.  Gov. Godwin Obaseki called him and told him that my commissioner has been arrested, please support him, I believe he is innocent. The man did not do anything. The former ambassador Yuna Yusuf who is writing a rejoinder now and saying all sorts of things could not act, he said he was waiting for the directive of the minister of foreign affairs. Are you now going to start blaming me for speaking the truth?

"I'm not talking about myself, God has blessed me, God has exonerated me and brought me out. I'm speaking for those innocent Nigerians in Italian prison. They have families and we all need to stand by them, we all need to speak out. Bring the evidence you have against them, if you don't have any evidence against them. Why are you keeping them in prison? It's unfair, the European union is paying Italy a lot of money for fighting mafias'. We won't allow them arrest Nigerians and call them Nigeria Mafia. We don't have mafias' in Nigeria, so let the  prosecutors know that we don't have mafias' in Nigeria. If you don't have any evidence against the Nigerian you detained in prison release them and let them come back home.

"We are watching, on the 26th of September when the appeal of those 20 Nigerians come up, the ones that were forged with those green bible, if they don't release them we will take to the streets again".

Speaking further on the reasons for the protest he said. "If you remember three weeks ago when I came to Nigeria I said we will be submitting a petition and lead a protest to the Italian embassy in Lagos to raise the awareness and let the world know the injustice melted on some of the Nigerians living in Italy. 

"As a victim of such injustice, I tried to submit a petition yesterday, I came with my friends and families who decided to join us to submit the petition to the Italian consulate in Lagos. 

"I was surprised that because of the publicity we made, on channels, my visitation to Abike Dabiri, Arise TV and other social media, it went viral and the families of these over 300 Nigerians got the information and they were all gathered here in Lagos before we even got to the embassy, and to my greatest surprise again we saw trucks load of Nigeria police men, they all came out and said this protest cannot hold. I said well, I just came out to submit their petition. Their families are affected in Italy, they are here in Nigeria, they all turned up here today and we still went to submit the petition at the consulate but they said it should be directed to Abuja where the Ambassador resides.

"We will do that, we will submit the petition to Abuja. But it's just to let the world know because I am more concerned about over 300 Nigerian that we have in prison.

"I will be consistent about this.70 Nigerians were arrested on the 28 of October 2020, their trial is starting on the 17th of September 2021,  these are people with families, with children, with wives, with parents and they are Nigerians. On the26th of September Google it, Torino chronicle page 8, 20 Nigerians sentenced to 140yrs, this are human beings, these are children, parents, they have families. They were sentenced to 140yrs their appeal is coming up on the 20th of September. So this is to create awareness, let the Italian justice system know that we know what is going on. 

"The letters that has been petitioned today is to the Prime minister of Italy, to the minister of justice Marta Cartabia and to the foreign affairs minister of Italy to let them know, let them look into this matter. I'm glad so far that this has raised a lot of awareness. The new Nigeria ambassador to Italy called me and spoke to me about this petition and I told him, no! I don't need crowd to come and submit my petition. My friends and families have decided to join me today and that's what we are doing today and I'm glad that they are using the highest diplomatic relationship with the Italian government to look into this matter. That is just the purpose of this whole thing. 

"Hon. Abike Dabiri has submitted the petition to the minister of justice, Abubakar Malami SAN. So that is what we want let them be doing that at the highest diplomatic level which is good because if we leave them alone, our brothers and sisters will continue to rot in prison.

"What we are doing here today, the minister of justice in Italy is aware and the petition will get to them so that they can call the corrupt prosecutor to order and ask him why he presented a forged manual called green bible used in my case on the 24th of November 2020. The same green bible he used to prosecute innocent Nigerians. 

"These Nigerians there do not have people that are supporting them.

"I'm very lucky, I'm privileged because of my status and because of my personality and people that I know. My friends, my family and the governor of Edo state stood by me that is why I'm here today. If not my enemy would have been languishing in prison for 15years for a crime I didn't commit.

"If they don't have proof against these innocent people they should release them. If they commit crimes like some of them do, some of them are involved in credit cards fraud, some of them sell marijuana in the street, some of them are involved in human trafficking, some of them constitute nuisance. Let those ones be prosecuted and charged according to the crime they committed. Article 416b, the highest Italian mafias' criminal code is not for Nigerians. We don't have Nigeria mafias', and they cannot use that to arrest and prosecute Nigerians when there is no evidence.

"I want to thank everybody that came out here today to support us because this is not about me. I'm free, I would have moved on with my life but I made a vow to God while I was in detention that I will not let this lie low, I will let the world know about the injustice melted on innocent Nigerians". 

According to him, "My purpose of raising this awareness has been achieved as far as I'm concerned.

"The consulate was short down today, you saw the number of police officers that came out. I was surprised. I went to the commissioner of police yesterday to take permission for this protest.

"I went to Abuja to meet the inspector General of police to let him know about what we are doing. We are not hiding anything and that's what a civilized human being should do.

"So I'm surprised at the battalion of police men that came out today to prevent this protest. However, the message has been sent. 

"They are aware of my petition being submitted today and that's why they shut down the consulate, that's why the embassy was shut down. The message has been sent. My message will be sent to the Ambassador in Abuja and in 4weeks time, you know I say things and I do it. In 4weeks time there's going to be a protest in front of the Italian embassy in London. The Nigeria police can not come to London and stop us.

"Detention is difficult for human beings who committed crime, tackles of those who are innocent.

"After we did the first 'National Festival For Art and Culture' in Edo state. The first time Edo state hosted that culture and the first ever in Nigeria.

"We had dignitaries, the vice president, eminent personalities were there. So all of a sudden I was arrested for a crime I didn't know anything about. The first six months was very difficult for me, my friends and my family because we were so confused. 6 months after I got to Torino prison I met Nigerians that have been there for the past 4-5yrs for this same Nigeria Mafia, so it became very clear to me that this was a manipulation of the Italian justice system. A very corrupt prosecutor and others. 

"On the 27th of November the judge came out and asked that were is the evidence that you have against Mr. Osemwengie that you called him mafia kin pin, only for him to submit a forged manual he called green bible and he said this is the professional manual of the association that I was arrested. It's very painful and pathetic. So I felt very hurt. 

"It is the grace of God that I still have my senses intact because it was very difficult and you could loose it. Like we have Nigerians running mad in Italian prison, two guys already lost their sanity one died in 2018, there was one other guy called Efosa that had issues with some of the Italians in prison and they poured hot oil on him. Those are human beings".