Ojudu condemns Foreign Minister’s prison dance video as wrong message on crime
Former senator Babafemi Ojudu criticised Minister of Foreign Affairs Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu after a viral video showed her dancing with Nigerian inmates at Aba Samuel Prison in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, during a visit to discuss a prisoner transfer agreement. Ojudu said the scene projected the wrong message about crime, punishment and public leadership, questioning whether such celebrations befit institutions meant for reflection and rehabilitation, and what it signals to law-abiding citizens and the international community about Nigeria’s values.
The visit followed the Nigeria-Ethiopia agreement to transfer over 100 Nigerian prisoners serving sentences in Ethiopia back home, signed by the minister and Attorney-General Lateef Fagbemi on Wednesday, as reported by Premium Times. The minister said the deal was based on humanity, justice and cooperation, and urged Nigerians abroad to obey host countries’ laws while assuring them the government would protect citizens facing legal challenges overseas.
Ojudu acknowledged the government’s duty to protect citizens overseas but urged officials to maintain dignity when engaging with incarcerated citizens. Will you judge a public official’s conduct by the symbolism of their actions, or focus solely on the substance of agreements like the prisoner transfer deal?