[caption id="attachment_219971" align="alignright" width="320"]
Chinenyeuba, left, enjoying a meal in Dimapur on Sunday after being released from prison.[/caption]
Eastern Mirror Desk
Dimapur, Nov. 25: The Nigerian national, Nweze Raymond Chinenyeuba finally walked out of Dimapur jail on Nov. 24—after being confined for two years, two months, and 16 days. He had been languishing in jail since Sep. 7, 2016.
Chinenyeuba was apprehended from new field police check gate in Dimapur on Sep. 7, 2016, for not possessing a valid visa. Consequently, he was sentenced to simple imprisonment of eight months and 17 days by a chief judicial magistrate for contravention of Foreigners Act, 1946.
Chinenyeuba completed his prison term on May 25, 2017, and a Dimapur local court subsequently ordered his release but he had been confined for the last 17 months as the Nagaland Home department waited for a deportation order from the Union government.
Finally, on Nov. 12, the Nagaland Home department received the clearance from the MHA for deportation of the Nigerian, following which the Nagaland Home Commissioner Ramaiah Ramakrishnan met with the officials of the Nigerian embassy on Nov. 15. The Nigerian High Commissioner, Chris Eze signed an Emergency Travelling Certificate (ETC) for Chinenyeuba with a validity of 30 days.
And on Nov. 24, after completing all the formalities, Chinenyeuba was freed from the jail. A jubilant Chinenyeuba told
Eastern Mirror over the phone how happy he was that his predicament was finally over. He expressed gratitude to all the people who showed love and sympathy to him during his ordeal. He will be boarding a flight to Lagos on Nov. 27 from the Dimapur airport.
Chinenyeuba left an audio message to
Eastern Mirror, in which he thanked all those involved in setting him free. During the course of his stay in the jail, he became a ‘God-fearing man’ and preached the Christian gospel to the inmates, he said.
It may be mentioned that a Dimapur-based citizen, S Solomon Shaikh, was with Chinenyeuba every inch of the way, during his pursuit of freedom. As mentioned in the earlier edition, it was in Dimapur sub-jail that Shaikh came to know of Chinenyeuba’s predicament.
Consequently, Shaikh moved a representations before the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of External Affairs seeking Chinenyeuba’s deportation order. Receiving no response from the central government, Shaikh moved a habeas corpus petition on behalf of Chinenyeuba before the Supreme Court on Sep. 6 seeking his immediate release from detention, and deportation to Nigeria.
Upon receiving the ETC from the Nigerian embassy on Nov. 15, the state home commissioner Ramakrishnan donated an amount of INR 10000 to buy clothes for Raymond on Nov. 20.
In a goodwill gesture, the advisor to Nagaland’s power department, Tovihoto Ayemi bore the airfare for Chinenyeuba to return to his country. He provided a flight ticket for Chinenyeuba from Dimapur to Lagos, Nigeria.
On Nov. 24 evening, after Chinenyeuba walked out from the jail, Shaikh tweeted: “Thanking all noble souls involved in sending Raymond back home. I am extremely happy. This man can go home and bury his dead parents and meet his siblings. It’s a victory. Humanity will strive ahead despite all odds. We Indians fought for this man and on Nov. 28 he will reach home.”
