“There are many Nigerians whose parents don’t know they’re in UK Prisons- UK-based Nigerian
A United Kingdom-based X influencer, Oluomo of Derby, has disclosed that there are many Nigerians in UK prisons without the knowledge of their parents in Nigeria.
He disclosed this in reaction to the post of another Nigerian, @badmanszn, who expressed surprise at the recent news of a countryman, Chiemka Okoronta, who was given 10 years for raping a 17-year-old girl in Bradford, United Kingdom.
@badmanszn said he attended class, studied together with Okoronta and worked alongside him before he lost contact with him in March.
Okoronta was arrested in March and has since been in custody, explaining why his friend could not track him.
See his tweet below.
“Just found out that a friend that we’ve been looking for since March is in prison and has been since around that period.
He’s an international student from naij that came to the UK to do his master’s. He lured a minor to his house, locked her in the toilet, and raped her three times. Someone I spent so much time with, studied with, and even worked alongside.
Bro me and this guy literally spent so much time together, I can’t believe he’s capable of doing something that sinister.
This guy was literally the most quiet guy in the class, he barely spoke to any girl in class”
Reacting, Oluomo of Derby wrote:
“We have many Nigerians in UK prisons. We have so many Nigerian citizens in UK prisons, and sadly, many of them can’t even be reached by their families.
Just a few days ago, a family in Nigeria reached out to me because they had lost contact with their son. After making some enquiries, I discovered that he was in prison.
This situation is heartbreaking and highlights the urgent need for stronger consular support.
The Nigerian Embassy @Nigerialondon must do more to reach out to and support Nigerian citizens in prison here in the UK.
They, too, need help, guidance, and hope, and proper consular support can make a real difference in their lives.”
Their tweets have generated mixed reactions. Some agree that the Nigerian consular service should have a programme for such people.
Others argue that anyone who left Nigeria to come and improve his life in the UK and ended up abandoning his dream to rape a girl deserves whatever he gets.
Balogun of Essex, tweeting with @ayobamei, wrote:
“You need to know that many Nigerians in Prison don’t want their families or friends to know they are there. There is a form to complete to provide info to families and friends so visitation can be arranged, but many refused to complete it because of shame.”
@tweetseun wrote: “If I can make assumptions about the psychology of the average Nigerian, they may be too ashamed to let family in on their situation, so the lack of contact is probably intentional. I doubt a UK prison will hold an inmate incommunicado.
@MaziNasir: “Nigeria’s entire leadership ecosystem feels like a sham. There’s an absolute refusal to embrace change—whether it’s driven from within or inspired by global standards. I remember when you tried to enlighten them about the importance of responsiveness, yet it fell on deaf ears.”
@supaaaaafly: “I have a friend who is in one of the Midlands prisons. I need to see him. He has been abandoned.”
@Yemo247: “They left Nigeria for greener pastures but can’t be law-abiding over there…People should always remember why they left Home and stay away from crimes.”
@desebaaki: “You run away from a bad country, get into a country that works, start committing crimes, and all you say is “consular support” This is the reason why Nigeria is where it is till today. What happened to people paying for their crimes?”
