Osamuyiwa Aikpitanhi Protest of the Concerned Nigerians Worldwide
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http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=83527
http://allafrica.com/stories/200707130133.html
http://www.vanguardngr.com/articles/2002/nationalx/nr113072007.html
FG Sends Delegation to Spain over Death of Nigerian
13.07.2007
The Federal Government is sending a delegation to Spain next week to find out the mystery surrounding the death of Mr Osamuyi Akpitanhi. Spanish security operatives allegedly killed the deceased.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, disclosed this yesterday in Abuja while testifying before an investigative panel of inquiry set up by the House of Representatives to unravel the alleged murder.
Baba-Ahmed, who is billed to lead the delegation, said the visit was to further pressurise the Spanish government to expedite action on its investigation.
He said the ministry had been in close contact with the Spanish government on the matter, saying the Ambassador of Spain in Nigeria had been invited to give explanation.
The Permanent Secretary also said that the outgoing Nigerian Ambassador to Spain had lodged a protest on behalf of the Federal Government to the King of Spain on the matter, saying, " that was the highest level of diplomatic protest''.
He appealed for calm and patience as the authorities in Spain had set up a panel to investigate the matter as well as carry out an independent autopsy on the body of the deceased.Baba-Ahmed said that the corpse was being held in Spain to enable the authorities complete all their investigation, as they had assured them that nobody would be spared, if found guilty.
He confirmed that there were many Nigerians living illegally in Spain and other parts of Europe, adding that two other deportees with the deceased were still being held by the Spanish authorities.
``Let me assure you that we are dealing with inhuman treatment meted out to Nigerians by their host countries, as we are impressing on them to respect international protocols entered into,'' he added.
Also testifying, a Nigerian aboard the Iberia Airline on June 9, when Akpitanhi was killed, Lanre Obafemi, said he died in the plane one and half hours into their flight to Nigeria as all efforts to revive him proved abortive due to lack of any medical personnel on board.
He equally affirmed the inhuman treatment meted out to the deceased and two other Nigerian deportees held by Spanish security personnel, alleging that the late Nigerian might have been injected with tranquilizer, following his alleged refusal to be arrested.
The testimony of Obafemi was corroborated by a journalist, Mr Ahaoma Kalu, who, along with others, mobilised worldwide protest via mail groups on Internet on June 29, and caused the story to be published as well as locate the family house of the deceased in Edo.The Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Henry Dickson, assured that members would do its best to get to the root of the controversial death of Akpitanhi.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the family of the slain Nigerian, Nigeria Human Rights Commission and the Nigerian Immigration Service had testified before the committee on Wednesday.
The Spanish Ambassador to Nigeria is expected to appear on Friday.
http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=83527
Osamuyiwa Aikpitanhi Protest - Updates: Concerned Nigerians Worldwide
https://thevoiceforum.org/node/527