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January 28, 2023
The Mexican Immigration Authorities humiliated, manhandled and denied him and his wife, Uloma, entry to access stage four colon cancer medical treatment at Oasis of Hope Hospital in Tijuana, Mexico.
The lawmaker representing Abia South Senatorial District, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, has told the family of late Chief Onyema Olujie, that it is possible they may not receive any response from the Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs as experience has shown that the ministry does not protect the interests of Nigerians.
Senator Abaribe who was the Senate Minority Leader made the assertion as a response to an email sent to him by late Onyema’s brother, Cidi Olujie, in quest for justice for his late brother denied entry and deported by the Mexican authorities while seeking medical treatment at the Oasis of Hope Hospital in Tijuana Mexico without reason.
SaharaReporters had in December 2022 exclusively reported how Onyema Olujie from Abia State in the South Eastern region of Nigeria died on October 14, 2022 after the Mexican Immigration Authorities humiliated, manhandled and denied him and his wife, Uloma, entry to access stage four colon cancer medical treatment at Oasis of Hope Hospital in Tijuana, Mexico.
Late Onyema’s brother, Cidi had told SaharaReporters that “With all the travel documents, we booked the flight en route Istanbul for them and they departed Lagos at 20.45pm West African time on October 3, 2022 for Istanbul with Turkish Airline Flight No.TK 626 and subsequently departed Istanbul on October 5, 2022 at 02.00 with Flight No TK 184 for Mexico City, arriving at the Juarez International Airport, Terminal 1 at 08.20 local time.
“We paid for another flight of about $900 to take them from Juarez International Airport in Mexico City to Tijuana.”
However, upon their arrival at the Mexico City airport, they were harassed and subjected to all manner of indignities.
They were reportedly and virtually treated like criminals.
Their passports and their mobile phones were confiscated thereby denying them the opportunity to contact the Oasis of Hope Hospital at Tijuana.
The only reason given to the late Onyema and his spouse by one of the immigration officers who had claimed that he neither understood nor spoke the English Language was "we don't want you here. Go back to your country.”
Denied access to urgent medical attention as indicated by the Oasis of Hope Hospital, late Onyema who served as the Honourable Commissioner for Special Duties to the former Abia State Governor, Orji Uzor Kalu, from 1999 to 2000 and as the Commissioner 1/Secretary, Abia State Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), died a few weeks in Lagos hospital after his deportation.
In his quest for justice for his brother and Nigerians at large, Cidi Olujie wrote to Senator Abaribe from whose Senatorial district late Onyema hailed from. However, the lawmaker in confirmation of receipt of the email said, “Yes I received it. Really felt bad about it but our experience is that our foreign affairs ministry does not protect our interests.
“I do not think you will receive any response because they know that Nigeria does not reciprocate as is done in international affairs.”
In what seems like a confirmation of Senator Abaribe’s assertion, Cidi told SaharaReporters that the Minister of Foreign Affairs as well as the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice had remained silent over the issue despite the legal representations made to them in pursuit of justice for his deceased brother.
He said that “The family of Chief Onyema Olujie has requested that their government representatives seek an explanation and redress from the Mexican Immigration Authorities for the barbaric and undignified treatment meted to Onyema and his wife from 5/10/22 to 7/10/2022 at the Mexico City Airport.”
But while the Mexican Embassy in Asokora, Abuja, Nigeria gave no response, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through Ambassador Nichols Ella, sent only an acknowledgement letter dated December 14, 2022, regarding the original letter sent to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, dated October 15, 2022.
And for the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Minister of Justice, “The only response was made on December 4, 2022, via Barrister Sunday Mordi, “the Attorney-General has demanded for the letter of invitation and approval from Mexico inviting your brother to come to Mexico for treatment.”
In response to the directive, Cidi said the “Treatment plan and support letter from the Oasis of Hope Hospital was forwarded to Barrister Sunday Mordi on December 7, 2022. No further response from the Attorney General’s office.”