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Tag: Abike Dabiri-Erewa

  • Abike Dabiri replies Oby Ezekwesili, says she doesn’t cows to bullying

    Abike Dabiri replies Oby Ezekwesili, says she doesn’t cows to bullying

    Abike Dabiri-Erewa,  chairman of the Nigerians In Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), stated on Twitter that she is not a public figure that cows to bullying’.

    She made this known in response to former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, who cautioned her for calling a Twitter troll ”Ode”.

    Dabiri had earlier replied to a Twitter troll who referred to her as ”Mumu woman”, in her response, she used the word Ode to refer to the troll.

    Reacting to Dabiri’s tweet, Ezekwesili, wrote; ”Dear Abike @abikedabiri, What is this? . Kai. This is messy. Please clean it up. Quickly. Please.”

    In her response to Ezekwesili, Ms. Dabiri-Erewa, wrote; ”I’m done on this . But out of respect for you , will ask, Clean what up? It’s okay for some untrained, uncouth guy to refer to me as “ mumu”, and I can’t call him “ ode”I’m not a public official that cows to bullying pls.”

  • How Nigerians in diaspora should vote during elections – Obasanjo

    How Nigerians in diaspora should vote during elections – Obasanjo

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has backed calls for Nigeria to adopt diaspora voting, stressing that Nigerians in the diaspora can vote through the embassies during elections.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Obasanjo stated this when the Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Dr Abike Dabiri-Erewa and some staff of the Commission paid him a courtesy call in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

    He wondered why the National Assembly cannot amend the country’s laws to make room for Nigerians abroad to vote during elections, saying: “All that we needed to do, if there is need for constitution amendment, simple thing. Amend the constitution that Nigerians in the diaspora will vote through the Nigerian embassy, that’s all”.

    On her part, the NIDCOM boss lauded Obasanjo for the move to get Nigerians to coordinate their activities under a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Nigerians in Diaspora Organisations, (NIDO) over twenty years ago.

    She also informed the former president of some achievements of the NiDCOM since its establishment.

    “This engagement process has led to investment by Nigerians in Diaspora in critical sectors of the economy such as health, agriculture, hospitality and tourism, housing, among others,” a statement from the Commission’s Media, Public Relations Unit, signed by Gabriel Odu reads.

    The NIDCOM boss added that the Commission has also launched a Diaspora Data Mapping Portal for demographic and strategic development.

  • How Nigerian govt secured Kizz Daniels release from custody of Tanzanian police

    How Nigerian govt secured Kizz Daniels release from custody of Tanzanian police

    Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, (NIDCOM) Abike Dabiri-Erewa, on Monday night, revealed how the Nigerian government got popular singer and songwriter, Oluwatobiloba Daniel, aka Kizz Daniel, released from the custody of Tanzanian police.

     

    Dabiri tweeted in a response to how the Nigerian Embassy in Tanzania was assisting Kiss Daniel to ensure his release from the custody of the police.

     

    “His legal team will however report back to the police tomorrow while he will subsequently return back to Nigeria,” she said.

    How Nigerian Govt secured Kizz Daniel’s release from custody of Tanzanian police
    High Commission of Nigeria in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

     

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Kizz Daniel was detained by police in Dar es Salaam after he failed to show up for a performance on Sunday, July 7 at the Summer Amplified concert at Warehouse arena.

     

    In a short video, Tanzanian police officers are seen picking up the ‘Buga’ singer in the police pickup, alongside two other people in his management team, at the Johari Rotana Hotel in the City Center.

     

    In another separate video, the singer and his team was later seen arriving at the Oysterbay Police Station under tight security.

    High Commission of Nigeria in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

     

    In the viral video, Kiss Daniel was seen wearing a black hoodie while being escorted into a Tanzanian police van.

     

    Several voices in the background of the video kept calling out to the singer as they repeatedly said ‘I warned you, you have caused a very big damage’ and the other voice stressed ‘apologize to these people, they gonna kill you Kizz Daniel.

     

    His arrest was after the chaos that was unveiled at the warehouse club early today where fans waited for the singer to perform from 10pm until sunrise causing damages that are yet to be specified.

     

    The organisers were said to have arrested Kizz Daniel and some of his crew members from their hotel as a result of the no-show.

     

    The singer was reported to have arrived in the country earlier but refused to perform because of unavailability of his clothes.

     

    But while reacting to a tweet on Monday night from a Twitter user pleading for FG’s intervention, Abike clarified that: “KD has been released.

     

    “His legal team will however report back to the police tomorrow while he will subsequently return back to Nigeria.”

  • BREAKING: Tanzania police release Kizz Daniel

    BREAKING: Tanzania police release Kizz Daniel

    The Tanzanian Police have released popular Nigerian singer, Oluwatobiloba Daniel, popularly known as Kizz Daniel.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Kizz Daniel was arrested following his failure to perform at a concert in Tanzania but Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has confirmed his release.

    The Buga crooner was scheduled to perform at the Warehouse, Old Nextdoor Arena in Tanzania on Sunday night as part of his Afro Classic World Tour.

    He had already been paid for the performance but said he forgot his clothes in Uganda. His refusal to perform resulted in fans damaging part of the concert arena.

    Following this, the organisers of the show had Kizz Daniel and some of his crew members arrested by policemen from their hotel.

    “KD has been released. His legal team will however report back to the police tomorrow while he will subsequently return back to Nigeria,” Dabiri-Erewa confirmed.

  • Don’t go to Northern Cyprus – NiDCOM advises Nigerians

    Don’t go to Northern Cyprus – NiDCOM advises Nigerians

    The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has advised Nigerians seeking greener pastures against travelling to Northern Cyprus.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Dr Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO, NiDCOM gave the advice in a statement released by Mr Gabriel Odu, Media, Public Relations and Protocols Unit of NiDCOM.

    The advice followed a visit by members of the Nigerian Diaspora Youth Ambassador, which raised an alarm over the plight of Nigerian students in Northern Cyprus.

    They said that Nigerian youths are suffering from intense depression as a result of the inhuman treatment meted to them, giving rise to the high rate of suicide amongst them in Northern Cyprus.

    President of the Association, Mr David Alozie, who led a four-man delegation to Dabiri-Erewa in Abuja, said the purpose of the visit to the Commission is to appeal for quick intervention on the plight of Nigerian students in Northern Cyprus.

    He added that Nigerian students are being racially profiled and deported on arrival at the airport for establishing contact with any individual in Southern Cyprus.

    Mr Alozie added that Nigerian students are forced to pay for tuition in Pounds whereas other foreign students pay in Turkish Lira (TL).

    Mr. Alozie and his team expressed willingness to collaborate with NiDCOM and other relevant agencies to create more awareness on the challenges Nigerian youths are facing in Northern Cyprus.

    In his words “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is not the best place to study, as the majority of the institutions there are not recognized by the European Union (EU) or any country in the world”.

    In her reaction, Dabiri-Erewa advised that Northern Cyprus is becoming a dangerous transit route for migrants, stressing that the country is not recognized by any country in the world except Turkey.

    She, therefore, stressed the need for further awareness to sensitize Nigerian youths who are leaving their country with the hope of better education.

    The NIDCOM Boss commended the President and his entire team’s efforts so far but explicitly stated that “the team has a bigger job to do in creating awareness for youths in Nigeria as it is better to stay in your country alive than risk your life in going to a country where uncountable and unresolved cases of young Nigerians have been and are still being recorded”.

    Dabiri-Erewa gave assurance that NiDCOM will continue to work with relevant agencies like the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and the Parent Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the nagging issue of Northern Cyprus.

    “It should be noted that Northern Cyprus is recognized only by the Republic of Turkey, and Nigeria and other countries do not have an Embassy there making it difficult to take Northern Cyprus up with the United Nations or European Union,” she noted.

  • Not one single woman at APC South-West leaders meeting – Abike Dabiri fumes

    Not one single woman at APC South-West leaders meeting – Abike Dabiri fumes

    Chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa has reacted to the absence of women at the APC South-West leaders meeting in Lagos.

    TheNewsGuru reports that the meeting was convened by Chief Bisi Akande, a former APC National Chairman and former governor of Osun, and Chief Olusegun Osoba, a former Ogun governor.

    Also present at the meeting were Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, governors and other party leaders.

    Abike Dabiri posted a photo of the men who attended the meeting, Abike wrote; ”Hmnnn! Meeting of Apc SouthWest Elders/ leaders.NOT ONE SINGLE WOMAN!From the whole of the SouthWest Dia is God oooooo”

  • NiDCOM boss, Abike Dabiri, condemns Poland over detention of Nigerians due to their black skin

    NiDCOM boss, Abike Dabiri, condemns Poland over detention of Nigerians due to their black skin

    Chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has condemned Poland for detaining Nigerians and other African students who fled war-torn Ukraine due to their black skin.

     

    Expressing displeasure over the development, she described it as wrong and traumatic.

     

    Dabiri-Erewa was speaking at the commencement of a two-day Psychosocial Trauma Clinic for Ukraine returnees on Thursday.

     

    The clinic was organised by the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, NiDCOM and Project Victory Call (PVC) Initiative, Naija.

     

    Dabiri-Erewa said that some Nigerian students who fled war-torn Ukraine to neighbouring countries of Poland and Hungary were now in detention in Poland.

     

    She said the development was unacceptable by the Federal Government.

     

    She lauded the Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari, for making it possible for the stranded students to return home “imagine we are not able to bring them back home look at what is happening in Poland?

     

    “Some Africans and Nigerians decided not to return home, now Polish authorities are now going around and capturing blacks and putting them in detention camps.

     

    “So, those Nigerians who refused to return are at a risk, some are in detention centres in Poland and they are in a traumatic condition.

     

    “However, inasmuch as Nigeria has given them the opportunity to come back home and they refused, it does not mean the Polish authority will grab them and put them in detention centres.

     

    “ The Federal Government is now calling on the Poland authority to release the blacks in their custody.

     

    It is not right for them to detain the blacks because they decided to take cover in their country (Poland).

     

    “They are not putting whites in those detention centres, so send them back to their countries instead of capturing them in detention centres which is the height of racism in a war situation,” she said.

     

    NiDCOM Chairman speaking on the voluntary traumatic psychosocial recuperation exercise for the returned students by concerned Nigerians PVC Naija.

     

    This would subsequently spread to the six geo-political zones for easy access.

     

    Speaking also, the Federal Commissioner National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, Mrs Imaan Suleiman, said the commission would provide offices across the country.

     

    She added that necessary tools and training for the psychosocial support to get to those in need.

     

    According to her, it was a worthy cause because mental health was key and different people react to trauma differently due to their resilience nature.

     

    The Student Union President of Nigerian Students in Ukraine, Fehintola Moses, appreciated the Federal Government, especially the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, who he said personally reached out to him during the course of the repatriation.

     

    The student leader also thanked NiDCOM Chairman and the National refugee’s commission for their efforts in ensuring that Nigerian students were safely evacuated back home.

     

    Fehintola who narrated his experience during the Ukraine war appealed to the Federal Government for more assistance to enable them to continue with their studies when the situation calmed down.

     

    He also appealed to Nigerians to embrace peace and to say no to war.

     

    Dr Bolaji Akinyemi, the convener of Project Victory Call Initiative and the volunteers for the programme, said four psychologists were mobilised from Plateau and Sokoto States for the first phase of the programme.

     

    He added that “trauma has become a part of our lives and when we are faced with the triggers we need to nip it in the bud that was the reason for the programme,’’ he said.

  • NiDCOM urges Nigerians in Ukraine to remain calm

    NiDCOM urges Nigerians in Ukraine to remain calm

    The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) on Sunday called on Nigerian citizens living in Ukraine to remain calm, amid growing fears that Russia could invade Ukraine.

    The call is contained in a statement by Mr Gabriel Odu, a Media, Public Relations, and Protocol Officer at NiDCOM.

    The statement made it clear that Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the Chairman/CEO of NiDCOM had earlier urged Nigerians in Ukraine to be calm and security conscious in view of the strained relations between Ukraine and Russia.

    “Dabiri-Erewa has assured that the Nigerian Embassy in Kiev, Ukraine is doing all it can to ensure the safety and security of all Nigerians in that country.

    “The NiDCOM boss also urged Nigerian citizens in Ukraine to visit the embassy’s website and duly follow the registration processes.

    “Meanwhile a statement from the Nigerian Embassy in Kiev has further provided information and necessary action with regards to emergencies and concerns,” the stayement quoted Dabiri-Erewa as saying.

    Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden has announced the increase of U.S. troops in Europe to strengthen North Atlantic Treaty Organisation’s (NATO’s) eastern flank as a response to the build-up of Russian troops near the Ukrainian border.

    A total of 1,700 troops will be redeployed from the U.S. to Poland, while a further 300 troops are to be sent to Germany.

    In turn, some 1,000 U.S. troops currently stationed in Germany will be redeployed to Romania, which shares a border with Ukraine.

  • FG rejects autopsy of Nigerian lady who died in Côte d’Ivoire after she was wrongly jailed

    FG rejects autopsy of Nigerian lady who died in Côte d’Ivoire after she was wrongly jailed

    The Federal Government of Nigeria and the family of the late Itunu Babalola, the Nigerian lady who died in Côte d’Ivoire after she was wrongly jailed have rejected the autopsy report on the cause of her death.

    Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) and the father of the deceased, Mr Emmanuel Babalola, on Tuesday gave this position at a meeting at the NiDCOM office in Lagos State.

    Recall that 24-year-old Itunu from Oyo State died on November 14 and Nigerians took to social media to express angst over her death.

    Itunu got entangled in a legal battle when she reported to the police that her house in Bondoukou, Cote d’Ivoire had been burgled.

    She was said to have been charged to court and the prosecutor, in collaboration with the police, allegedly compromised the case and accused her of human trafficking.

    Itunu was convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison which was later reduced to 10 years, but she died two years into her jail term.

    Speaking, Dabiri-Erewa, who expressed NiDCOM deepest condolences to Babalola’s family, said that though she (Dabiri-Erewa) was not a doctor, the autopsy left so many questions unanswered.

    “I am not a doctor but when I looked at the autopsy report itself, “Sepsis Complicated by Acute Respiratory Distress“, that is not acceptable even to me without being a doctor and I don’t think that should be acceptable.

    “I believe that Nigeria should not just let this matter go just like that. We need to demand justice. How come she just died after everything has been done for her release?” she asked.

    According to her, the case had been transferred to Abidjan, the lawyer fees had been paid before the unfortunate incident.

    “Even the lawyer said that the girl was not guilty of the crime she was accused of. This autopsy, even to me does not appear acceptable. So, I hope that we would not let the case go like that,” Dabiri-Erewa added.

    She said that the police officer in the case had been reported to Interpol, saying; “we are not going to relent. That police officer must be questioned.

    “I am sure the Minister of Foreign Affairs will take the next necessary steps to demand from Cote d’Ivoire a lot more information than they have given about what happened to Itunu’s case.”

    According to her, there is the need for African countries to treat one another with respect, decency and dignity.

    The NiDCOM boss, who hinted that some lawyers had indicated interest in approaching ECOWAS Court on the matter, said that Itunu would get vindication and justice even in death to give the family succour.

    “Again, it is a tough one, it is a tragic one. It should not have happened. If we let this go just like that, others will go just like that.

    “How could this have even happened in another West African country? We will do all we can.

    “Now that the autopsy report is out, there are more questions to ask. How was Itunu treated in prison? How come she just died like that when the next thing was for her to be released, she asked.

    Earlier, Mr Babalola, who commended the Federal Government’s efforts to get her late daughter released from the prison before she died as well as getting the corpse released.

    “I am not satisfied with the cause of death of my daughter. The autopsy was read but I am not satisfied with it.

    “When the Ivorian government took Itunu to hospital, she was bleeding, blood coming out of her mouth and nose, and I did not know what really happened until I heard suddenly that my daughter is dead.

    “This has put me in sadness since then. I want the case to continue. I reject the autopsy.

    “I want to know the cause of her death. I want the Nigerian government to please help me and investigate further what led to her death,” the father who wept profusely said.

    Babalola said that doctors informed him that what the Ivorian government claimed killed his daughter could not have killed her within 24 hours.

    He called on the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama and the National Assembly to intervene in the case.

    Dabiri-Erewa presented a cheque of an undisclosed amount to Mr Babalola as support from NiDCOM to the family.

  • We need funds; Nigerians abroad will continue to pay $100 charges – FG

    We need funds; Nigerians abroad will continue to pay $100 charges – FG

    The federal government (FG) has said the country is in need of funds, and therefore, Nigerians in diaspora will continue to pay charges and levies imposed at the foreign missions.

    The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyema; and Controller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Muhammed Babandede elaborated this when they appeared before the House of Representatives’ Committee on Foreign Affairs in Abuja on Tuesday.

    They explained that the charges and levies were due to paucity of funds to run operations, while also explaining how they were addressing issues affecting Nigerians in other countries.

    At the two-day investigative hearing organised by the committee, which began on Tuesday, Onyema noted that the charges had been in existence and were only suspended.

    “The $100 they (Nigerians in the US) said has been added is voluntary; it is just for those who want to have their biometrics done without an appointment. If you wait for your appointment, you will g.t it (done) and not pay. But if you want it the same day, then pay $100,” the Minister said.

    Onyema also said his ministry planned to make Nigerians in diaspora have access to a 24/7 call centre in Nigeria which would take complaints from across the world.

    In his presentation, the CG of the NIS decried the shortage of passport booklets, which he described as the biggest challenge facing the service.

    “The passport is the biggest challenge. When we talk about passports, the challenges are ours; some of the challenges are with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and some are with Nigerians themselves. On our side, we have the huge challenge of scarcity of passport booklets,” Babandede said.

    He lamented that the NIS had only 47 offices across Nigeria despite the huge population of the country.

    The Chairman/Chief Executive of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, noted that the presentations by Babandede and Onyema “have shed a lot of light on happenings and innovations going on in immigration.

    “We are going to set up a NIDCOM app which can be downloaded by all Nigerians in diaspora to even bring in their complaints and all.

    “Also, the diaspora commission is very soon going to launch an Internet radio, where we are going to have communication all the time with our brothers and sisters in diaspora. So, the key thing is communication”.