[size=1 [/quote]8pt]Deportees raise the alarm over Nigerians’[/size]
By Friday Olokor, Oyetunji Abioye and Emeka Ezekiel
Published: Thursday, 16 Apr 2009
The 45 Nigerians deported on Tuesday by the Equatorial Guinea Government have expressed fears on the whereabouts of 11 others, saying they may have been killed in that country.
They also demanded the release of the 15 corpses of Nigerians killed for proper burial at home and $100m compensation to the owners of seized boats and the detainees.
Out of the 128 Nigerians detained by the government of that country, 11 of them were removed from their cell, to an unknown destination, while efforts to trace them have proved futile.
A statement entitled, Report of Assault on Nigerian businessmen and Sailors in Malabo by the Government of Equatorial Guinea, signed by the Secretary-General of Nigeria/Malabo Boat Owners Association, Mr. Wisdom Archibong and made available to our correspondent in Lagos on Wednesday, also alleged that 12 of them died through torture and shooting.
They were arrested on February 17 by a combined team of Equatorial Guinea Police, Navy and Army who took 98 sailors and 30 other Nigerians and detained at the Central Police Station in Malabo.
Three of the people shot dead, alleged Archibong, included one Mr. Sola Jide, adding that “three of the people in the boat were tortured to death, including a woman. The Equatorial Guinea Police, after killing them, placed guns on their bodies, took photographs and branded them militants.’’
He stated that despite complaints to the Nigerian government, the Consul-General remained mute over the matter.
But the spokesperson of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Mr. Ayo Olukanni, told The PUNCH on the phone that “both the Nigerian Mission in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea and the Federal Government have taken up the issue to ensure that the rights of our people are protected.’’
Reacting to the development, human rights advocate, Mr. Femi Falana, told our correspondent that he would reach out to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and draw the attention of the government to the plight of Nigerians in Equatorial Guinea. http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art200904162412845
[quote][size=14[color=#990000][/color]pt]Comments:[/size]
* Sorry fellow Nigerians in search of greener pastures, assuming our country is good, what will a proud Nigeria go to such a poor country to do, more over, our rulers now have shown stupidity, coward ness, immaturity towards the welfare of the citizens. Everyone of them is dodging so that they will seek favors and not to be discovered when smuggling our tax payers money overseas.
Posted by: Vetin , on Thursday, April 16, 2009
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* nigerians are orphans with no real nation ! seeing what nigerians pass thru,one might conclude that unlike other good nations, it appears nigeria and nigerians owe each other nothing . This is pure murder but b/c the victims arent related to politicians & neither is there money to be shared, nothin wil be done about this. We must knw that any attack on any innocent nigerian, is an attack on us all. RIP Sola Jide and co .
Posted by: AUSTIN NWACHUKWU , on Thursday, April 16, 2009
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* I'm not surprised at all about this development. If we can't protect our citizens within Nigeria, how can we protect them outside Nigeria. Ojo Maduekwe is the worst man for this job. We play with peoples life in the name of stupid political appointments. I'm yet to see any achievment and positive appointment by the Yaradua's administration. It's like Nigeria is now stagnant under him. Yaradua - One of the dividends of Obasanjo's administration.
Posted by: Hunk , on Thursday, April 16, 2009
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