Nigerian government evacuates 50 Nigerians from Syria

Mr Olugbenga Ashiru, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, on Monday said about 50 Nigerians had so far been evacuated from Syria following the ongoing crises in the country.

Ashiru said in Abuja that the evacuees complied with government’s directive to leave Syria and he advised others to vacate the Middle East nation.

“We have evacuated quite a lot of Nigerians from Syria, it was not an airlift exercise like we did in the case of Libya because they are very few.

“From the report I got, those moved so far are less than 50, long before the situation deteriorated we advised them to move.

“Some have decided to stay behind but it is their choice.’’

The minister also said that the families of the Charge d’Affairs and officials at the embassy had been relocated to the neighbouring nation of Lebanon “and they are very safe there.’’

It will be recalled that the Syrian conflict began on March 15, 2011 with public demonstrations as part of the wider Arab spring and developed into a nationwide uprising.

Nigeria and Syria established diplomatic ties in 1961.

Vanguard

Nigerian diplomat detained in Venezuela for alleged fraud

A senior diplomat with the Nigerian mission in Venezuela, Dr. Olarotimi Ajayi, has been detained by Venezuelan immigration authorities for over two weeks now over allegation of fraud.

LEADERSHIP gathered that Ajayi has been detained since July 19, 2012, when he returned to Venezuela from the United States of America, where he had gone for a promotional examination at Nigeria's mission there.

According to an online news website thenigerianvoice.com, Ajayi's travails are as a result of his running battle with Nigeria's ambassador in Venezuela, Felix Oboro, over management of the mission's finances.

It was gathered that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is aware of the quarrel between Ajayi and Oboro and that the case is even before a court in Venezuela where Ajayi's lawyers had gone to secure an order to stop his deportation from the country since he has a legal permit to stay in the country.

A source at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told LEADERSHIP that the ministry was trying to resolve it as both men had made written testimonies.

It is reported that Ajayi is not receiving any consular assistance because he joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in his suit in Venezuela.

When contacted, the acting director (public communication) and spokesperson of the ministry, Mr. Ogbole Amedu-Ode, said that his office was not formally aware of the matter.

Recently, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement that it would not be stampeded to recall Oboro despite reports of misconduct bordering on drug trafficking and misappropriation of funds against him.

The ministry said that the reports against Oboro are allegations and "will remain mere allegations until proven to be true on the basis of factual evidence, which in this case had not been adduced. The ministry does not dwell on rumours that are not backed by evidence".

It said that until such matters against Oboro are investigated by the Foreign Service Inspectorate, the ministry would not take any hasty decision that is not in consonance with due process and rule of law.

Leadership

Sani Abacha's family lose bid to recover $800 million looted funds from government

The family and 19 close associates of the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, have lost their bid to recover $800 million seized by the Federal Government.

The fund, allegedly looted by Abacha's family, was recovered by the General Abdulsalami Abubakar - led government.

The family and 19 companies owned by the family had gone to the appellate court seeking to upturn the decision of the Federal High Court Abuja, which dismissed their suit, challenging the constitutionality of the letters written by the Federal Government to governments of some foreign countries.

Justice Suleiman Galadima, who delivered the lead judgment recently at the Supreme Court, threw out the appeal saying it is incompetent and lacking in merit.

With this decision, the apex court has re-affirmed the decision of the trial court and the Court of Appeal.

The money was recovered by the government from Muhammed Sani Abacha and nineteen (19) other companies between 1999 and 2000.

The companies are Juinin Finance, Savard International, Venfold Investment, Sulgrave Holdings INC, Raw Materials Development and Trading Co. Ltd., Technical Management Service Ltd, Allied Network Ltd and Blue Rock Properties.

Others are Barven Holdings, Olmar Establishment, Peltora Establishment, Glotar establishment, KRH Capital establishment, Kurita Establishment, Tadil Overseas, Rike Limited, Warnbeck Holdings, Arwood Overseas and Larberidge Trading.

Daily Trust

Video - Thousands homeless after forced eviction from Makoko slum in Lagos

Thousands of people from Nigieria's Makoko slum are being forcibly removed from their homes. The move part of the government's campaign to get rid of the almost 200 year-old floating shantytown. Many are seeking refuge on boats and in churches.

Al Jazeera

Related story: Business in Makoko, the venitian slum of Lagos

300 children rescued from child trafficking in Kogi State

More than 300 children from Benue State have been rescued from human traffickers by the Quick Response Group Team (QRP) of Nigeria Army along Itobe-Ajaokuta and Okene road.

Parading the children in Lokoja at the Weekend, Major General Alphonsus Chukwu told journalists that the vehicles transporting the children was intercepted along Itope - Ajaokuta - Lagos road by the Quick Response Group (QRG) of his command during a stop and search operation.

He said the children, who are between ages 10 and 15, and both male and female were heading to Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Ondo and Ekiti for holiday jobs, saying that they were however not coherent in their explanations.

Major General Alphonsus said it was shocking when buses were arrested with well over 300 children heading for the same destination, describing it as unfortunate.

One of the officers, who spoke to our reporter in confidence, said they stopped the buses when they discovered that the vehicles were carry many children, saying that they boarded the buses at parks in Benue and that agents who would receive them were already waiting for them in their destination.

On Friday last week one Mr. Sunday Agbo from Benue State was arrested with 10 children by a task force along the same route. Sunday had during interrogation confessed to have been trafficking children close to a decade and that he was an agent to a woman in Lagos.

He said he was trafficking children with the consent of their parents who are being paid N5, 000 per child with the promise of helping them secure job as maids in Lagos and other states.

Daily Trust