Rights group group, Concerned Nigerians Against Racial Injustice (CONARI), has called for the Federal Government’s intervention to secure justice for Olufolajimi Abegundi, a United States based Nigerian jailed 78 months for what it described as “racial judgement”.
According to the group, Abegundi, who has already spent 15 months in US prison for his alleged involvement in money laundering has been suffering from torture and maltreatment for the crime they alleged he didn’t commit.
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Briefing newsmen in Kano on Friday, CONARI Convener, Salis M. Manager, said the suspect is being unjustly incarcerated without any legal justification, even though he only traveled their to pursue his Masters Degree.
He said, “Upon graduating with the class of 2016, and recognizing opportunities in the remittances industry, Abegunde incorporated FJ Williams Inc. doing business As (DBA) TranzAlert.
“Black people across the world have continued to pay for crimes they didn’t commit just because they are black and very recently, the world was a witness to the Black Lives Matter Movement owing to unbearable racism, discrimination, and inequality experienced by black people, especially in the United States of America.
“Recently, another victim of racial injustice, Mr Olufolajimi Abegundi an enterprising young Nigerian family man who founded FJ Williams Inc. after an academic foray in a top-rated University in Texas was falsely convicted in a United States Prison following a high-level conspiracy between the FBI and US Prosecutors.
“An investigation has revealed a skewed justice process fraught with coercion, intimidation, impersonations, falsification, and racial injustice which brought about his unjust incarceration on framed-up charges in the United State of America for six years.
“Having spent 15 months of the six years, there is still no tangible evidence to show for his alleged crimes and the victim has continued to call for a review of his case which keeps falling on deaf ears.
“Abefunde relocated to the U.S. from Nigeria in 2014 to pursue a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree at Texas A & M University in College Station, Texas,” the group explained.
They also called on President Muhammadu Buhari to direct the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, the Nigerian Embassy in the United Stated and the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) to commence immediate action to demand an immediate review of Mr Abegundi’s case by the US authorities.
“Furthermore, we call on U.S authorities particularly the U.S Attorney General Merrick Garland, the U.S Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, the American Civil Liberty’s Union (ACLU), the Black Lives Matter Movement (BLM), the MAACP and the U.S Media in general should all come together to demand justice for Abegundi. Nigeria cannot let her best minds unjustly languish in prison over phantom crimes we must rise together to save ourselves from racial injustice. It’s Abegundi today, it could be you tomorrow,” CONARI concluded.
