{"id":7066,"date":"2013-07-25T09:25:28","date_gmt":"2013-07-25T09:25:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/disnaija.com\/nigeria-news\/falana-petitions-unchr-over-maltreatment-of-nigerian\/"},"modified":"2013-07-25T09:25:28","modified_gmt":"2013-07-25T09:25:28","slug":"falana-petitions-unchr-over-maltreatment-of-nigerian","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/disnaija.com\/falana-petitions-unchr-over-maltreatment-of-nigerian\/","title":{"rendered":"Falana petitions UNCHR over maltreatment of Nigerian"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A human rights activist, Mr Femi Falana (SAN) on Wednesday filed a petition against the U.S. government over alleged inhuman treatment of a Nigerian, Jacob Ajomale.<\/p>\n

Falana, in the petition to the UN Council on Human Rights, deplored the inhuman treatment meted out to the Nigerian by officials of the U.S. Immigration and Customs.<\/p>\n

\"Femi <\/p>\n

Femi Falana.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

The lawyer also filed a suit before a Federal High Court, Lagos, against the Minister of Internal Affairs, and United Airlines, for breach of his client\u2019s fundamental rights to dignity of human person.<\/p>\n

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that in the statement of claim, Ajomale was said to have been badly treated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.<\/p>\n

They were alleged to have forcefully inserted a tracking device in his body through his anus.<\/p>\n

The tracking device, otherwise known as “chip”, was said to have been inserted in Ajomale’s body since December 2010.<\/p>\n

Falana, in the petition, is urging the UN agency to direct the U.S. to remove the tracking device from Ajomale’s body with immediate effect.<\/p>\n

In the suit, the plaintiff is claiming the sum of 100 million dollars against Nigeria’s Minister of Internal Affairs and United Airline, for breach of rights as enshrined in Sections 35 and 36 of the Constitution.<\/p>\n

Ajomale, in the supporting affidavit, said that he had been living in the U.S. since April 12, 1997 with a visiting visa, but later became a permanent resident in February 2008.<\/p>\n

The claimant averred that he had no criminal record all through this period.<\/p>\n

He said that on Jan. 22, 2009, he traveled to Nigeria for his father\u2019s burial but on his way back on Feb. 5, 2009, was arrested by one officer Derrick at the BWI Airport in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.<\/p>\n

The claimant averred that he was locked up and tortured in a cold room for nine hours in order to make an incriminating statement of using falsified passport in 2001.<\/p>\n

He said he was subsequently arraigned, tried, convicted and sentenced to six months imprisonment at the DC jail and Rivers Correction Centre, all in North Carolina.<\/p>\n

According to Ajomale, he was released on Aug. 11, 2009 at about 7 p.m., after being cleared by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).<\/p>\n

He said that surprisingly, he was arrested again by the same officer Derrick on Aug. 15, 2009 on the ground that his release from detention was a mistake.<\/p>\n

“I was taken back to the same prison and this time was crushed on the floor by eight white officers of the prison.<\/p>\n

“They removed my pant and inserted a chip in my anus. I screamed but no one could help me,” Ajomale averred.<\/p>\n

According to the claimant, he was again released in December 2010, and the ICE conspired with United Airline, to forcefully repatriate him back to Nigeria without his passport and other travelling documents.<\/p>\n

He said that on returning to Nigeria in January 2011, a complaint was met at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, with indifference shown to his plight.<\/p>\n

Ajomale said that the chip had remained in his body since his return to Nigeria, and this has caused him hardship.<\/p>\n

NAN reports that the suit is yet to be assigned to a trial judge.<\/p>\n

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