₦airaland Forum

Former presidential aide, Babafemi Ojudu, has criticized the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, over her recent conduct in an Ethiopian prison.

A video clip that went viral on Friday showed the minister celebrating with Nigerian inmates at AbaSamuel Prison in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The inmates were expressing excitement following the signing of a bilateral Prisoner Transfer Agreement between Ethiopia and Nigeria.

They sang praises to President Bola Tinubu for facilitating the agreement.

Reacting to the trending video, Ojudu in a statement he posted on his official Facebook page on Sunday, wondered if the minister was celebrating criminality.

Ojudu questioned the rationale behind the video, insinuating that the footage portrays a negative image of the country and sends a bad message to Nigerians struggling to earn money legitimately.

“What message are we sending to ourselves and to the world? If the objective was to negotiate the transfer of Nigerian prisoners back home, could that not have been done with dignity, sobriety, and a clear sense of the gravity of the situation?

Must compassion be expressed in a manner that appears to celebrate criminality?

“Prison is not a place of celebration. It is a place of punishment, reflection, remorse, and, hopefully, rehabilitation. Public officials must be careful not to blur those distinctions. What has befallen us as a people?

“What does it say to those who have obeyed the law, endured hardship, and resisted the temptation to seek prosperity through crime?

“What does it say to the victims of fraud, trafficking, and other transnational crimes for which many Nigerians have found themselves imprisoned abroad?

“It is a troubling image. And it should trouble both the rulers and the ruled. What a shame,” Ojudu said.

Onoh Defends Bianca Ojukwu’s Ethiopia Prison Visit, Responds To Ojudu’s Criticism

Former Southeast spokesman to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Josef Onoh, has responded to Babafemi Ojudu’s criticism of Foreign Affairs Minister, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, over her recent visit to Nigerian inmates in an Ethiopian prison.

A video circulating online showed the Minister interacting in a cheerful manner with the inmates, an action Ojudu questioned in a public statement.

Onoh, who chairs the Forum of Former Members of the Enugu State House of Assembly, said Ojudu’s remarks overshadowed what he described as a diplomatic achievement.

In a statement issued to journalists on Monday, Onoh said the Minister’s engagement with the inmates should be viewed as part of citizen-centred diplomacy.

“It was with disappointment that I read Ojudu’s comments concerning the diplomatic engagement of Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, during her visit to Ethiopian prisons,” Onoh said.

Onoh argued that the signing of the bilateral Prisoner Transfer Agreement between Nigeria and Ethiopia was a significant act of statecraft that previous administrations had not secured until the Tinubu administration.

He said the Minister’s interaction with the inmates was not a celebration of criminality but a demonstration of empathy and advocacy.

He noted that some of the prisoners had spent years in custody and witnessed deaths, and that relief at the prospect of returning home was a natural human response.

“Nigerian prisoners, some of whom had languished for years and witnessed deaths in custody, were finally seeing a path home. Joy, relief, and cultural expression in that context are natural human responses,” Onoh said.

Onoh acknowledged that prisons serve the purposes of punishment and rehabilitation but stressed that the inmates remain Nigerian citizens entitled to consular protection.

He said the Minister’s presence and the agreement support rehabilitation by bringing the prisoners closer to their families and legal processes at home.

He disagreed with Ojudu’s concerns about the message to law-abiding citizens and victims of crime, pointing out that governments worldwide, including the United States, United Kingdom, and EU nations, routinely facilitate prisoner transfers.

“Effective diplomacy is results-oriented. Ambassador Ojukwu delivered a tangible outcome: repatriation for over 100 Nigerians,” Onoh said.

He added that the action aligns with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda and its 4-D foreign policy, which emphasizes citizen diplomacy.

Onoh also referenced the legacy of the late Chief C.C. Onoh, Bianca’s father and former Governor of old Anambra State, who he said often interacted directly with citizens, a trait he described as an example of humility in public service.

“Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu and the Tinubu administration deserve commendation for prioritising Nigerian lives. Nigeria is moving forward,” Onoh stated.

Terrorists are being released as civilians are being massacred. pic.twitter.com/0fPItNO47f

— Barbir (@Alex_Barbir) June 15, 2026

Gbogboski:
For the records, most of the prisoners are held for visa overstay. They were our young men that japad to the wrong destination.

We have an epidemic of young Nigerians that wants to leave the country by fire by force, while at it, they should do a proper research of their japa destinations. There are a lot of shit hole countries out there.

TemplarLandry:
There's nothing wrong in dancing with your imprisoned kinsmen.
Let's see how it goes.

TemplarLandry:
There's nothing wrong in dancing with your imprisoned kinsmen.
Let's see how it goes.

Jaymats:
Mr Ojudu do you want Bianca to be crying or what?

Sorry Mr Ojudu pls remov that Babafemi from your name cus real SW don't talk or reason as you did I think we have to profile you to know your root.

Nigerians really have serious problem if Tinubu did not signed the deal you wll say he doesn't care about Nigerians now the deal was signed and Bianca went to facilitate it and now it's a sin.

Na wah oo.

ppogba:
For the records, they were held for drugs related offences.

It's too early attempting to rewrite history that is glaringly glaring.

Lick your wound in peace abeg.

shekauvsbuhari:
Show your official records that you are quoting to show that you saw the official records and not a noisy miscreant.

agulion:
This Ojudu most be a very stupid man, as if he is not in Nigeria were wicked islamic bandits and Terrorists (BAT) are labelled Repentant terrorists and monthly salaries been paid to them by Nigerian govt, but people with minor offences in Ethiopia he wants them to remain in captivity