By Emmanuel Onwubiko
A
pro-Democracy Non-governmental organization - HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has asked the
Nigerian Government to tell Nigerians the findings concerning the Visa scam
involving the top flight terrorist who attempted to fly into Nigeria over two
months back.
HURIWA recalled that the Nigerian government had reportedly ordered a
full investigation into how a wanted terrorist was granted Nigerian Visa in
Lebanon to visit the country since August but wondered why no clear report has
been made public to the Nigerian public. HURIWA
said it amounts to institutionalizing lawlessness and impunity if this grave
threat to Nigeria's national security is swept under the carpets by President
Muhammadu Buhari.
HURIWA further recalled that the Permanent Secretary in the Nigerian Ministry
of Foreign affairs sometime in August reportedly confirmed to the media that
President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to
investigate the circumstances surrounding the issuance of Visa to the wanted
terrorist who has been on the wanted list of several governments.
HURIWA recalled that a radical Muslim cleric, Ahmad al-Assir was
arrested by Lebanese authorities as he attempted to leave Lebanon to Nigeria
enroute Cairo Egypt.
The
terrorist mastermind was reportedly arrested while attempting to travel with a
fake Palestinian passport with a valid Nigerian Visa at the Beirut’s Rafik
Hariri International Airport early Saturday, August 15, 2015 in Lebanon.
The Rights
group in a statement signed jointly by the National Coordinator Comrade
Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National Media affairs Director Miss Zainab Yusuf,
recalled that Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported that Assir, who
was travelling with another man, was holding a fake passport in the name of
Rami Abdul Rahman Taleb, while his companion was holding a passport in the name
of Khaled Sidani.
He was
reported to have shaved off his iconic beard and under gone facial surgery to
conceal his identity but was identified by eagle eyed Lebanese security
operatives.
Sheikh Assir
has been on the run for two years, having been declared wanted in Lebanon in
2013 when his followers clashed with the Lebanese army, killing at least 18
soldiers.
HURIWA said it was regrettably disappointing that several months after
this scandal blew open that brought international opprobrium on Nigerian as a
nation whose immigration and foreign Affairs ministry partner with terror
masterminds, the Nigerian government is yet to come to terms with what exactly
happened that such a high caliber terrorist can successfully obtain valid entry
permit into Nigeria. "Is there more to it than meets the
eyes? Are there powerful people in this government that invited this
terrorist?", HURIWA asked.
"We
demand greater openness on this Visa scam because we are aware of the
disastrous damage that Boko Haram -an affiliate of ISIS has done to many
Nigerian communities and the killings of several thousands of civilians.
Nigerians deserve to know those involved in the invitation of this Terrorist
into Nigeria and all those who actively worked for the successful issuance of
VISA into Nigeria . The FGN must within 48 hours furnish Nigerians with details
of the investigation. The National Assembly must take special interest in all
of this scandal so the officials indicted are named, shamed and prosecuted as
enemies of Nigeria ", HURIWA stated.
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