Nigeria’s Ambassador to Vietnam, Mazi Mathias Orji Okafor has disclosed that no fewer than 26 Nigerians are languishing in different prisons in Vietnam.
Okafor disclosed this, yesterday, at a special business forum/interactive session between a Vietnamese business delegation and members of Enugu business community at the ongoing 24th Enugu International Trade Fair.
He stated that one of the Nigerian Prisoners in Vietnam who was earlier sentenced to 25 years imprisonment was later sentenced to life imprisonment when the Nigerian Embassy in the country appealed the judgement.
He warned further that there was no room for drug peddlers in Vietnam and advised Nigerians residing in the country to stay away from drugs.
The ambassador cautioned that anybody caught with drugs would either receive a death sentence or be given a long term imprisonment.
Vietnam, he further warned, has no mercy for drug peddlers and restated that there was no room for drug peddlers in the country.
Okafor said that when he assumed office in Vietnam, he visited all the prisons where Nigerians were incarcerated and gave them his moral support.
Okafor, however, expressed regrets that his experience during his visits was not pleasant and warned Nigerians to desist from the illegal trade.
He noted that the embassy in Vietnam was making efforts to take care of the families of Nigerian prisoners in that country.
The ambassador reminded Nigerians that there was no hiding place for evil men in Vietnam, and added that nobody would speak for or help anybody that did illegal business in the country.
He appealed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to make money available for his office in Vietnam to enable it provide legal aid to Nigerian prisoners in the country.
He assured that his office would do its best to help anybody who desired to do genuine business with the Vietnam.