Connect with us

News

Xenophobia: What Buhari must do to avoid violence against Nigerians in Ghana – HURIWA

Published

on

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has raised alarm over possible xenophobic attack on Nigerians in Ghana, following series of kidnapping cases and organised crimes implicating the country’s nationale.

This was as the rights group called on President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene to forestall the occurrence of such xenophobic and targeted violence against Nigerians in Ghana.

It explained that political and media establishments of Ghana have begun systematic stereotyping of Nigerians as kidnappers and dangerous criminals.

In a statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, and National Media Affairs Director, Miss Zainab Yusuf, HURIWA said, “Our attention was called to the developments in Ghana by some good spirited Nigerians and Ghanaian who expressed worry that there could be imminent xenophobic attacks against Nigerians going by the extent of one-sided stereotyping by the media and top level political office holders in Ghana which graphically depict Nigerians as criminals and kidnappers.

“We have it on record that even the current President of Ghana has participated in spreading hate messages against Nigerians by spreading the misconception that Nigerians are kidnappers.”

HURIWA reminded Nigerian government that the “extensive xenophobic violence in South Africa targeting non-South African black Africans by black South Africans in which over three dozen Nigerians have died started just like small rumors and then promoted in the South African black media in which foreigners who are blacks are classified as drug dealers and criminals.”

“When the early warnings came from South Africa about possible xenophobic attacks in which Nigerians were the principal targets, the Nigerian government overlooked these grave warnings but waited until dozens of Nigerians are butchered on the streets of South Africa before the Nigerian government made some kind of statements but has not adopted any measures to stop it.

“Even as we speak, Nigerians in South Africa lives at their own risks due to the expanding frontiers of xenophobic violence against black foreigners living in South Africa even as the South African Police and government have failed to curb the menace.

“The president should personally intervene to forestall the occurrence of such xenophobia and targeted violence against Nigerians because even the political and media establishments of Ghana have begun systematic stereotyping of Nigerians as kidnappers and dangerous criminals.

“The consequences of these daily and consistent doses of stereotyping of Nigerians as criminals is that ordinary Ghanaian may embrace mob justice and go after thousands of other Nigerians living and doing legitimate businesses in Ghana.

“This is a save our souls appeal to the Nigerian president to act decisively and immediately without any further delay to hold bilateral dialogues with the political authorities in Ghana to ask them to use legal and right based means to stop the local media of Ghana from spreading hate messages and xenophobia against members of the Nigerian community in Ghana because crimes and criminality have no national boundaries nor are crimes committed exclusively by certain nationalities to the exclusion of their hosts if such nationalities reside outside their native domains.”

HURIWA stated that the government must bear in mind that it was not long that a dispute between the Ghanaian government and Nigerian business practitioners over exorbitant amount of investments demanded from Nigerians was settled.

“This warning sign has become very urgent and the Nigerian government and ECOWAS must do all within their powers to stop any land of xenophic attack from ever happening,” it added.

HURIWA recalled that few days back, the media of Ghana were awash with series of crime stories in which Nigerians were listed as masterminds just as specifically, only yesterday, a Nigerian was listed as suspected to be the leader of the gang that abducted two Canadian women earlier in June.

Also, three Nigerians have been arrested by Ghanaian authorities in connection to the recent abduction of two Canadian women. Lauren Tilley and 20-year-old Bailey Chitty who were abducted in Kumasi while returning to their hostel from a youth development programme on June 4, 2019, Ghana media reports.

Both women regained their freedom on Wednesday, June 12 after a rescue operation launched by security operatives, according to Ghana’s Information Minister, Kojo Nkrumah.

While speaking during a press conference on Wednesday, Nkrumah said authorities arrested five Ghanaians and three Nigerians during the rescue operation.

He said, “At 1900 hours, a first arrest was made, by 21:15 hours, one of the persons who is an accomplice directly involved in this incident was also arrested by the joint team running this operation”.

“A local Ghanaian contact who was providing harboring for the kidnappers was apprehended around 20:45 hours leading to the arrest of the other accomplices”.

“The holding place of the victims was subsequently surrounded just before 5 am this morning and by 5:15 am; a joint team had breached the premises with the hopes of rescuing the girls.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

News

Army Buries 17 Personnel Killed in Okuama Community

Published

on

By

The 17 military personnel killed in Okuama community in Delta on March 14 have been laid to rest.

The corpses of the soldiers, which arrived at the National Military Cemetery in Abuja at about 2:26 pm on Wednesday, were committed to mother death after burial rites were observed.

President Bola Tinubu, Service Chiefs and other dignitaries were in attendance at the burial ceremony.

DAILY POST recalls that the troops of 181 Amphibious Batallion, Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State, while on a peace mission to Okuoma Community were ambushed and killed by some irate youths.

The incident occurred when the troops responded to a distress call following a communal crisis between Okuoma and Okoloba communities in Delta State.

The personnel comprised one Lieutenant Colonel, two Majors, one Captain and 13 soldiers.

The officers are Commanding Officer 181 Amphibious Battalion, Lt. Col. A.H Ali; Maj S.D Shafa (N/13976); Maj D.E Obi (N/14395) and Capt U Zakari (N/16348).

The soldiers are SSgt Yahaya Saidu (#3NA/36/2974); Cpl Yahaya Danbaba (1ONA/65/7274); Cpl Kabiru Bashir (11NA/66/9853); LCpl Bulus Haruna (16NA/TS/5844); LCpl Sola Opeyemi (17NA/760719); and LCpl Bello Anas (17NA/76/290).

They also include LCpl Hamman Peter (NA/T82653); LCpl Ibrahim Abdullahi (18NA/77/1191); Pte Alhaji Isah (17NA/76/6079); Pte Clement Francis (19NA/78/0911); Pte Abubakar Ali (19NA/78/2162); Pte Ibrahim Adamu (19NA/78/6079) and Pte Adamu Ibrahim (21NA/80/4795).

DailyPost

Continue Reading

News

Thomas Yormah Emerges As New WAEC Chairman

Published

on

By

By Eric Elezuo

The West Africa Examinations Council (WAEC) has a new Chairman, he is Prof. Thomas Brima Rick Yormah, a former Deputy Vice Chancellor of the Fourah Bay College and former Pro ViceChancellor, University of Sierra Leone as the 21st Chairman of Council.

According to a statement signed by Demianus G. Ojijeogu, the Head, Public Affairs, WAEC Headquarters, Accra, Ghana, Yormah was elected during the just concluded 72nd Annual Council Meeting of the body, held in Freetown, Sierra Leone. He succeeds Prof. Ato Essuman from the Republic of Ghana.

The highpoint of the week-long Council meeting was the recognition and honoring of three Ghanaian candidates with the WAEC International Excellence Award for their outstanding performance in the WASSCE for School Candidates, 2023. They were Master Amo-Kodieh Leonard Kofi, (1st Prize), Master Dzandu Selorm, (2nd Prize), and Master Asenso-Gyambibi Daniel (3rd Prize). The three candidates were selected from 2,327,342 who sat the examination in The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone.

In the same vein, the Augustus Bandele Oyediran Award for the Best Candidate in West Africa, 2023 also went to Master Amo-Kodieh Leonard Kofi. In addition, two candidates from the Republic of Sierra Leone were honoured with the National Distinction, while one candidate received the National Merit Award. They were Miss. Mammah E. A. Raymonda, (1st Prize), Master Bangura Joshua, (2nd Prize), and Master Fillie Sahr Edward (Merit Award).

While the 71st edition of the Council meeting was hosted by Gambia, the next edition, which will be the 73rd in the series, will be hosted by Liberia.

Continue Reading

News

Kidnapped Edo PDP Chairman Regains Freedom

Published

on

By

The kidnapped chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, has been released.

Dr. Aziegbemi, who was set free by his abductors in the early hours of Tuesday, March 26, 2024. Report has it that he got to his Benin City residence at about 3am to the waiting arms of family and close friends.

“I am back home with my family. I am fine. I am just trying to rest and will talk to you later,” he was quoted as saying.

Dr. Aziegbemi, a former member of the House of Representatives, who represented Esan North-East/Esan South-East federal constituency of Edo State, was kidnapped on Friday, March 15, 2024 when his abductors who rode in two Toyota Corolla cars, trailed him after he left a meeting.

The gunmen overtook Aziegbemi’s sports utility vehicle (SUV) at a speed break as it slowed down along Osaro Street, off Country Home Road, close to his house at about 11pm on Friday night before seizing him.

It is not clear yet if a ransom was paid for his release as the abductors had reportedly demanded a sum of N50 million before setting him free.

Continue Reading

Trending