Nigerian Sentenced in America Demands Fair Hearing, Fresh Trial
- A US-based Nigerian, Mr Olufolajimi Abegunde, is claiming that he is being maltreated by the authorities in that country
- Abegunde is currently having a running battle with US authorities after he was accused of cyber fraud
- The Nigerian man vehemently denied the accusation, saying the verdicts passed on him were unfair
FCT, Abuja - An American-based Nigerian citizen, Mr Olufolajimi Abegunde, has demanded from American citizens, human rights activists, and lawyers in Nigeria and the world at large to rescue him from the “unfair treatment” meted out to him by the United States (US), Sixth Circuit Court of Appeal.
Abegunde, a Nigerian residing in Atlanta, US, was sentenced to 78 months in the correctional centre after he was convicted of alleged cyber fraud in the US – the offence he vehemently denied.
Source: Getty Images
He was sentenced by a judge in the western district of Tennessee, Sheryl Lipman in 2019 and the judge also ordered he paid $57,911.62 in restitution to the victims of his offence.
But the 32-year-old Nigerian citizen, in an appeal sent to journalists in Abuja including a Legit.ng reporter, said he was unfairly treated and has suffered travesties of justice.
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He, however, expressed confidence in the US justice system given its traditional strict adherence to the rule of law and due process, saying he would definitely get justice if well-Nigerians, human rights activists and lawyers across the world could wade into the matter.
While rejecting the verdicts passed on him by both the District Court and Sixth Circuit Court of Appeal as travesties of justice, Abegunde said:
“These travesties range from the worst and most egregious forms of abuse of power or privilege by judicial officers.
“These abuses also involved egregious forms of overreach by government officials and the most draconian forms of prosecutorial misconduct, to significant and preposterous actions at both the District and Sixth Circuit Court of Appeal.”
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has announced that the probe into the alleged indictment of DCP Abba Kyari by the US Federal Bureau Investigation, being conducted by the NPF Special Investigation Panel, is still ongoing.
A statement issued by police spokesman, Frank Mba and seen by Legit.ng, made this known on Tuesday, August 17.
Some reports had claimed the report of the panel was already out prompting some Nigerians who asked police authorities to make the details public.
Source: Legit.ng
