Nigeria’s foreign minister asks India to protect the rights of Nigerians in its detention centres

The Federal Government has called on India to ensure the welfare, dignity and protection of the fundamental human rights of Nigerians held in custodial centres across the country, according to Punch.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, made the appeal during a meeting with a joint high-level delegation of the National Human Rights Commissions of Nigeria and India at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja. A press statement signed by the ministry's spokesperson, Oluwafemi Adeniyi, said she expressed concern over the treatment of Nigerians serving in custodial centres in India.

"I call on the Indian government to ensure the humane and proper treatment of Nigerian citizens serving in custodial centres in the country, and that they receive appropriate attention to their welfare, dignity and fundamental human rights," she said.

The appeal came as the two commissions strengthened their partnership by signing a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation. The agreement is expected to promote institutional cooperation, technical exchanges and the sharing of best practices in human rights protection.

The minister described the MoU as a timely initiative for turning the longstanding relations between Nigeria and India into practical institutional cooperation. "There is the need to strengthen access to justice, improve complaint-handling mechanisms and protect the rights of persons in vulnerable circumstances, ensuring equitable access to essential support and services for them," she said.

She added that Nigeria and India have an opportunity to contribute constructively to a more inclusive international human rights architecture as members of the Global South, and that the protection of vulnerable persons and access to justice should remain central to the growing cooperation.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu also expressed Nigeria's readiness to deepen engagement with India and other partners in human rights diplomacy, and thanked United Nations member states for supporting Nigeria's election to the Human Rights Council for 2027 to 2028.

The statement did not say how many Nigerians are in custody in India, which facilities hold them, or what specific complaints had been raised. It also did not include a response from the Indian side to the request.

Cases involving Nigerians held abroad often draw public attention, because families at home usually have limited information about charges and conditions. The minister's remarks put the matter on the agenda of the new cooperation between the two rights commissions.