A Nigerian national, Nweze Raymond Chinenyeuba, detained for not possessing valid visa continues to languish in a jail here despite the Supreme Court on September 20 directing the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of External Affairs to consider his release and deportation to his native country within a period of four weeks.
Chinenyeuba was apprehended from a night super bus at New Field police check gate here on September 7, 2016 while he was coming from Guwahati.
According to reports, the Dimapur chief judicial magistrate (CJM) court sentenced him to simple imprisonment of eight months and 17 days for contravention of the Foreigners Act, 1946 after examining the charge-sheet filed by the police. The charge-sheet said the police during the examination of his documents at the check gate found Chinenyeuba not carrying any valid passport except for a photocopy of his passport.
Chinenyeuba is lodged in Dimapur sub-jail.
He completed his prison term on May 25, 2017. The Dimapur CJM court subsequently ordered his release. However, he has still been confined in the jail for the last 17 months now as the Nagaland home department is awaiting a deportation order from the Centre for his deportation.
Chinenyeuba, in a petition to the ministry of external affairs, said, “On completion of my term dated 25-5-2017, the CJM informed that my sentence term is over and said that my case had been dismissed and I shall be deported to my native land, Nigeria. I was daily awaiting the news of my deportation, but nothing has happened and since May 25, 2017. I have been illegally detained in the same jail and it is almost 16 months now.”
One S Solomon Shaikh, a Dimapur-based citizen, approached the MHA and the MEA, through representations, seeking Chinenyeuba’s deportation order. He also filed a habeas corpus petition before the apex court on the Nigerian national’s behalf on September 6, demanding immediate release and deportation of the latter to Nigeria.
Considering the petition, the Supreme Court on September 20 directed the MHA and the MEA to consider the request within a period of four weeks.
The reports said the Nagaland home department is still waiting for the order from the MEA and the MHA to move forward with the necessary proceedings for Chinenyeuba’s release and deportation.
The Centre had reportedly dispatched the order on September 26 to the Nagaland government. But the state home department is yet to receive it.