Sunday, September 4, 2011

Nigeria Protests kiling of its nationals in Libya


Nigeria is
protesting to
Libya’s
Transitional
National Council (TNC), Britain
and France the killing of its
nationals in the troubled
North African country.
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Amb. Olugbenga Ashiru
abandoned a church service
yesterday to take distress calls
of Nigerians in Libya,
including their co-ordinator,
Mr. Daramola Siji.
Nigerians are being attacked
in Tripoli, Benghazi, Gath,
Agadez and Sirte, the
hometown of the embattled
Libyan leader, Muammar
Gaddafi, whose 42-year grip
on power has been removed
by a six-month insurgency.
A source said: “Unharmed
Nigerians are being killed in
tens for no just cause. In
some instances, they rape
Nigerian women before
shooting them to death.
“Yet, this is the same TNC that
the Federal Government is
backing in Libya. The blacks
are not involved in Libyan
crisis; they do not deserve this
massacre.”
In one of the distress notes
sent to the Presidency and the
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Siji,
who is from Emure-Ekiti, said:
“We cannot go out of our
homes, my wife and children.
We will certainly be shot. We
don’t have food and we lack
everything.
“We can save lives. I am calling
on AU to act and save African
families boxed in troubled
Libya and if anyone could
reach out to the Nigerian
government to stop the killing
of Nigerians by the former
rebels who are now the new
leaders in Libya, it will be
better.”
In a telephone chat with our
correspondent, Siji gave
details of how Nigerians have
become the targets of the
rebels.
He added: “The truth is that
when Gaddafi was in office,
he had sympathy for black
Africans and many have even
settled in Libya.
“In fact, there is a city in
Southern Libya called Suyima
that is mostly populated by
Nigerians, especially the
Hausa. The city shares borders
with Algeria and Niger.
“But due to Gaddafi’s
sympathy for the blacks, the
rebels assumed that the
blacks will naturally do
everything to protect Gaddafi.
So, they decided to kill any
black man on sight.
“Nigerians have been the butt
of the attacks on the blacks
because the rebels could
hardly differentiate them from
Ghanaians, Malians, Nigerians,
Burkinabes, Senegalese and
Gambians.
“They are really killing many
Nigerians and this is just
unfortunate.”
The Nation learnt that Amb.
Ashiru was moved into action
after getting the distress call
yesterday. He shelved a church
service to attend to the calls.
A government source said:
“Apart from talking to Siji
directly, the Minister also
reached out to the TNC, Britain
and France on the need to
stop the killing of black
migrant workers, especially
Nigerians.
“For about five hours
yesterday, the Minister was
talking to the TNC leaders,
Britain and France on why the
genocide must stop.
“The Federal Government has
pleaded with Britain and
France to prevail on the TNC
leaders to ask their foot
soldiers to end the massacre
of blacks in Libya.
“I think immediate action has
been taken and there will be
respite for not only Nigerians,
but all the blacks in Libya.
“The government has also
asked the TNC to liaise with
Siji, who will now serve as a
coordinator or Liaison Officer
on how to protect the blacks,
especially Nigerians.
“Also, the Nigerian
Ambassador to Ethiopia has
been asked to relate with the
Nigerian community in the
Libyan cities. The Ambassador
will also work directly with the
TNC.
“The Ambassador is also
expected to send hourly
situation reports to the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
where a desk has been
opened to monitor TNC’s
attitude to blacks, especially
Nigerians, in Libya.”
This is the second time in the
last four days that the Federal
Government has protested to
its TNC ally in Libya over the
massacre of black migrant
workers.
The Minister said Thursday:
“The Government of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria
wishes to note with concern
reports of incessant abuse of
helpless civilians in Libya by
some unscrupulous elements who continue to take undue advantage of the ongoing crisis in that country,
particularly to carry out attacks on Black migrant
workers and other Black Africans stranded in Libya arising from crisis in that country.
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