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  • DISTINCTION: 17-year-old Nigerian, Victory Yinka-Banjo gets 19 scholarship offers from US, Canada

    DISTINCTION: 17-year-old Nigerian, Victory Yinka-Banjo gets 19 scholarship offers from US, Canada

    A 17-year-old Nigerian, who scored straight As in WASSCE, has received 19 full-ride scholarship offers from universities across the United States and Canada.

    Victory Yinka-Banjo, who is a secondary school graduate, was offered more than $5 million dollars’ worth of scholarship money for an undergraduate program of study, according to admission documents and estimates of financial aid awards.

    “It still feels pretty unbelievable. I applied to so many schools because I didn’t even think any school would accept me,” Victory told CNN.

    Born to Nigerian parents, mother Chika Yinka-Banjo, a senior lecturer at the University of Lagos, and Father Adeyinka Banjo, a private sector procurement and supply chain executive, Victory was given potential full scholarships from the Ivy League schools, Yale College, Princeton University, Harvard College, and Brown University.

    Other US scholarship offers included those from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Stanford University, Johns Hopkins University and the University of Virginia.

    In Canada, Victory was offered the Lester B. Pearson scholarship from the University of Toronto and the Karen McKellin International Leader of Tomorrow (KMILOT) scholarship from the University of British Columbia.

    Victory, who was a senior prefect in secondary school, added: “Their admissions processes are extremely selective. They only accept the best of the best. So, you can imagine how, on a daily basis, I have to remind myself that I actually got into these schools. It is surreal!”

    Victory rose to national prominence in late 2020 after she scored straight As in her West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

    Months earlier, the Nigerian teen had been rated as the “Top in the World” in English as a second language (speaking endorsement) by the University of Cambridge International Examination (CIE). Victory aced the Cambridge IGCSE exam — acquiring A in all six subjects she sat for.

    Victory told CNN her remarkable achievements are borne out of hard work.

    “They have made me truly feel proud about the hard work I have put into several areas of my life over the years. I am slowly beginning to realize that I deserve them,” she said.

    The teenager remarked that her multiple scholarship offers “have made me stand taller, smile wider, and pat myself on the back more often.”

    Victory said she hopes to study Computational Biology. However, she is still weighing up her options on which school to choose, having been wooed by many prestigious institutions.

    “I am still doing research on some schools that are at the top of my list, like Stanford, Harvard, MIT, Duke, Johns Hopkins, and just trying to compare and contrast all of them thoroughly,” she told CNN.

  • BREAKING: SARS officer seeking asylum in Canada rejected

    BREAKING: SARS officer seeking asylum in Canada rejected

    A former member of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Olushola Wazzi Popoola has been rejected asylum by the government of Canada.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Canada rejected his asylum application on the grounds of rights violations in Nigeria.

    The Immigration Division [ID] of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada reviewed documentary evidence against Popoola and found that the Nigerian Police Force, and the SARS in particular, have committed crimes against humanity from 2002 to 2015.

    See Canadian Federal Court Judgement and reasons below:

    [1] Mr. Popoola is a citizen of Nigeria and a former member of the Nigerian Police Force. He was found to be inadmissible to Canada because there are reasonable grounds to believe that he engaged in crimes against humanity while serving as a police officer in Nigeria. He now seeks judicial review of his determination of inadmissibility. I am dismissing his application, because the decision-maker reasonably assessed the relevant factors for deciding whether Mr. Popoola made a knowing and significant contribution to the crimes committed by the Nigerian Police Force.

    [2] Mr. Popoola completed his training and became a member of the Nigerian Police Force in 2002. From 2002 to 2005, he was a member of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad [SARS] in Abuja. He was then transferred to the anti-robbery unit (not to be confused with the SARS) in Lagos until 2009. From 2009 to 2011, he returned to the SARS, this time in Lagos.

    [3] In 2011, following the death of his father, Mr. Popoola resigned from the Nigeria Police Force. According to his testimony, however, the Force never formally accepted his resignation and he had to continue reporting to work. From 2011, he was affected to Iju as an ordinary police officer. He was promoted to the rank of Sergeant in 2015 and he left the Force the same year.

    [4] In 2016, he left Nigeria for the United States. He then came to Canada, where he claimed refugee status. His claim was suspended while his case was referred to the Immigration Division [ID] of the Immigration and Refugee Board for a determination of his inadmissibility.

    [5] On October 15, 2019, the ID found Mr. Popoola inadmissible pursuant to section 35(1)(a) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, SC 2001, c 27 [the Act]. The ID reviewed the documentary evidence and found that the Nigerian Police Force, and the SARS in particular, have committed crimes against humanity from 2002 to 2015. This is because mistreatment and torture of police detainees is endemic in Nigeria, for a number of reasons including corruption and impunity. Extrajudicial killings are frequent. The SARS, in particular, is singled out in the documentary evidence as one of the most brutal units of the Force.

    [6] The main part of the ID’s decision is devoted to the issue of whether Mr. Popoola made a knowing and significant contribution to the SARS’s criminal activity. A finding that Mr. Popoola engaged in crimes against humanity does not require proof that he personally tortured detainees — which he denies. Rather, his contribution to the organization’s crimes must be assessed according to the test laid out by the Supreme Court of Canada in Ezokola v Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2013 SCC 40, [2013] 2 SCR 678 [Ezokola]. In this regard, the ID considered that Mr. Popoola voluntarily joined the Nigerian Police Force; that he spent five years with the SARS, a unit known for being especially brutal; that he admitted knowing about the prevalence of torture and mistreatment of detainees in the organization, although he tried to minimize its scope in his testimony; and that he resigned for personal reasons, not because he learned of human rights abuses. As to his contribution to the organization’s crimes, the ID concluded as follows:

    Since Mr. Popoola reasonably knew that when he was a member of the SARS the suspects he handed over to the criminal investigation department would be subject to human rights violations, the tribunal finds this to be a significant contribution to the criminal purpose of the organization since he had the knowledge of what could befall the individual subject to investigation.

    [7] This application for judicial review focuses on one question only: whether the ID properly applied the Ezokola test to Mr. Popoola’s situation. This Court reviews the ID’s decision on a standard of reasonableness. When performing such review, the Court does not reweigh the relevant factors; this is the ID’s role. To succeed, an applicant must show that the decision-maker made a significant error in the treatment of the evidence. It is not enough for an applicant to reiterate arguments rejected by the decision-maker.

    [8] Mr. Popoola, however, is merely asking this Court to give more weight to factors favouring him and to prefer his testimony to the documentary evidence. Thus, he insists on the fact that he intended to leave the force in 2011, but that his resignation was never accepted and that, given Nigeria’s specific context, this meant that he has to continue reporting to work. He emphasizes his relatively low rank in the organization. He argues that he spent most of his time with the Force in units other than the SARS, and that his five years with the SARS is a relatively short time. Lastly, he asserts that his contribution to the organization’s crimes was not significant.

    [9] These arguments were made before the ID. The ID rejected them and provided adequate justification. Before me, Mr. Popoola does not point to any serious mistake that would render the ID’s decision unreasonable. Moreover, according to section 33 of the Act, the ID was only required to find “reasonable grounds to believe” that Mr. Popoola contributed to crimes against humanity. In my view, the ID reasonably applied the Ezokola test to Mr. Popoola’s situation.

    [10] Lastly, Mr. Popoola argues that the ID breached procedural fairness by rejecting his testimony without providing adequate reasons. Inadequacy of reasons, however, is now integrated to substantive review: Newfoundland and Labrador Nurses’ Union v Newfoundland and Labrador (Treasury Board), 2011 SCC 62 at paragraphs 21-22, [2011] 3 SCR 708. It is not considered a matter of procedural fairness. As I mentioned above, the ID’s reasons for preferring the documentary evidence to certain aspects of Mr. Popoola’s testimony were adequate. Mr. Popoola also invokes the decision of the Supreme Court of Canada in Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières v Larocque, [1993] 1 SCR 471. That case involved a situation where an arbitrator refused to hear relevant evidence. This is quite different from the present case, where the ID heard Mr. Popoola’s testimony, weighed it, and gave more weight to documentary evidence with respect to certain issues. This is not a breach of procedural fairness.

    [11] For these reasons, Mr. Popoola’s application for judicial review will be dismissed.

  • Don’t go to Nigeria, Canada warns its citizens; raises security alarm

    Don’t go to Nigeria, Canada warns its citizens; raises security alarm

    The Canadian government has warned its citizens not to travel to Nigeria, citing strong security concerns. in a fresh travel advisory it warned its citizens against non-essential’ travels to Nigeria due to the high level of insecurity and crime in the country.

    Canadians who happened to be in Nigeria were advised to exercise a ‘high degree of caution.

    The travel advisory on Nigeria, issued on February 16, 2021, was rated as ‘Still Valid’ on February 21, 2021.

    In the travel advisory shared on travel.gc.ca, a website of the Canadian government, Canadians were advised to “avoid non-essential travel to Nigeria due to the unpredictable security situation throughout the country and the significant risk of terrorism, crime, inter-communal clashes, armed attacks and kidnappings.”

    But the Canadian authorities specifically warned the country’s nationals to “avoid all travel” to some parts of Nigeria, particularly the North-Western states of Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara, as well as well as the North-Eastern states of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa and Yobe.

    Other states Canadians were advised to avoid in Nigeria included Plateau, in the North-Central, and Niger Delta states – Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, and Rivers.

    Two South-Eastern states – Imo and Anambra – were equally classified as ‘no go’ areas for Canadians in Nigeria.

    The travel advisory noted that acts of terrorism and kidnapping were likely to occur in Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, Zamfara, Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa and Yobe states.

  • Biden holds first presidential talks with American allies; speaks to Britain, Canada, Mexico leaders

    Biden holds first presidential talks with American allies; speaks to Britain, Canada, Mexico leaders

    U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with leaders of Canada, Britain, and Mexico in his first presidential calls since being inaugurated on Jan. 20.

    In his first call to a European leader, Biden discussed the Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), climate change, and security with Britain’s Boris Johnson.

    Johnson tweeted that it was “great” to speak to President Biden.

    “I look forward to deepening the longstanding alliance between our two countries as we drive a green and sustainable recovery from COVID-19,” he wrote on Saturday evening.

    A Downing Street spokesperson said they also discussed the benefits of a potential free trade deal and Johnson committed to resolving trade issues as soon as possible.

    Britain is seeking new deals after its post-Brexit transition period ended and it officially left the European Union’s internal market and customs union this month.

    The White House did not mention any trade discussions in a later confirmation of the call, but said Biden conveyed his intentions to strengthen the special Britain-U.S. relationship and revitalise translatlantic ties.

    He also underscored support for the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.

    Biden’s first call to a foreign leader after his inauguration was to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday.

    The two agreed to have a meeting next month to work on “renewing the deep and enduring friendship between Canada and the United States,” Trudeau’s office said.

    The White House said the leaders talked about reinvigorating cooperation on combating the pandemic, defence, economic ties, and global leadership to address climate change.

    Biden and Trudeau discussed their shared vision for sustainable economic recovery and agreed to cooperate to achieve net-zero emissions.

    Biden also acknowledged Trudeau’s disappointment at his decision to rescind the permit for the controversial Keystone XL pipeline, the White House said.

    In one of his first actions as president, Biden revoked the permit issued in March 2019 for the pipeline, which would have carried oil from Canada to the U.S., stating that its construction was not consistent with his administration’s economic and climate goals.

    Biden also spoke to Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Friday.

    The two leaders discussed migration among other topics and Biden described his plan to reverse the “draconian” immigration policies of the previous administration, the White House said.

    Biden plans to slow illegal migration through providing aid to countries of origin, among other measures.

    Biden told Lopez Obrador the U.S. would support Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador with four billion dollars to combat the root causes of migration, the Mexican president said in a Saturday speech.

    The vast majority of people who attempt to make unauthorised crossings into the U.S. via its southern border with Mexico come from those three countries.

    Biden’s predecessor Donald Trump had halted millions of dollars of financial help in a bid to push those countries to prevent their citizens from migrating towards the U.S.

  • Defiant Trump: World leaders react to embarrassing chaos in U.S. Capitol, attempts to overturn election

    Defiant Trump: World leaders react to embarrassing chaos in U.S. Capitol, attempts to overturn election

    Police in the U.S. Capitol responded with drawn guns and tear gas as hundreds of protesters stormed in and sought to force Congress to undo President Donald Trump’s election loss shortly after some of Trump’s fellow Republicans launched a last-ditch effort to throw out the results.

    Here are reactions from around the world:

    SWEDEN
    Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven in a tweet described the incidents as “an attack on democracy”. “President Trump and many members of Congress bear significant responsibility for what’s now taking place. The democratic process of electing a president must be respected.”

    UNITED KINGDOM
    British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in a tweet described the scenes in the U.S. Congress as a “disgrace”, saying the United States stood for democracy around the world and that was it was “vital” now that there should be a peaceful and orderly transfer of power.

    GERMANY
    German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said democracy’s enemies would be cheered by scenes of violence at the United States Capitol, and he called on Trump to accept U.S. voters’ decision.

    In a Tweet posted after protesters stormed the seat of the U.S. legislature, Maas said the violence had been caused by inflammatory rhetoric. “Trump and his supporters must accept the decision of American voters at last and stop trampling on democracy.”

    RUSSIA
    “Quite Maidan-style pictures are coming from DC,” Russia’s deputy U.N. Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy posted on Twitter, referring to protests in Ukraine that toppled Russian-backed President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovich in 2014.

    “Some of my friends ask whether someone will distribute crackers to the protesters to echo Victoria Nuland stunt,” he said, citing a 2013 visit to Ukraine when then-U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland offered food to protesters.

    NATO
    NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg called the violent protests in Washington “shocking scenes” and said the outcome of the democratic U.S. election must be respected.

    SPAIN
    Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in a tweet: “I am following with concern the news that are coming from Capitol Hill in Washington. I trust in the strength of America’s democracy.

    “The new Presidency of @JoeBiden will overcome this time of tension, uniting the American people.”

    CANADA
    Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed concern about the violent scenes in Washington. “Obviously we’re concerned and we’re following the situation minute by minute,” Trudeau told the News 1130 Vancouver radio station. “I think the American democratic institutions are strong, and hopefully everything will return to normal shortly.”

    Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne on Twitter: “Canada is deeply shocked by the situation in Washington DC. The peaceful transition of power is fundamental to democracy – it must continue and it will. We are following developments closely and our thoughts are with the American people.”

    TURKEY
    Turkey’s foreign ministry issued a statement expressing concern about the violence and called for calm and common sense while urging its citizens to avoid crowds and the protest area.

    FRANCE
    French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Twitter: “The violence against the American institutions is a grave attack on democracy. I condemn it. The will and the vote of the American people must be respected.”

  • How SARS officer killed my brother while preparing for Canada

    How SARS officer killed my brother while preparing for Canada

    A certain bereaved woman, Mrs. Doris Ididia on 19th of November recounting tragic details of how an official of the now disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) supposedly killed her brother, Festus Idehen, who was due to travel to Canada.

    “My brother suffered a lot. From that Saturday to the day he died, he did not eat anything. He was supposed to be in Canada; he had proceeded his visa,” Mrs. Ididia said on presenting her petition before the panel set up by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to probe allegation of impunity against SARS and other police units.

    Mrs. Ididia recalled that on September 3, 2016, her family were in their home in Kaduna while she was cooking around 5 p.m. for the deceased when he received a call from his in-law, Onyekachi Sunday.

    “As he went to the junction with his car to pick the in-law …he saw a Golf car chasing him. He thought it was kidnappers. So, he accelerated and veered off to another route.

    “Yet, the occupants of the Golf car were still chasing him. At a stage, my brother came out of his car and started running to avoid being caught.

    “Throughout that day, a Saturday, we did not see him again. My mother said we should wait till Sunday to lodge a report at the police station,” she told the panel.

    She added that the following day, his brother’s wife received a call from an unknown number and she (Mrs. Ididia) answered the call only for the caller to tell them that her brother was in the hospital.

    Mrs. Ididia said when they go to the hospital, they saw her brother with bandage and injuries all over his body.

    “My brother informed me that while he was running, Inspector Kingsley started shouting, thief! thief!! and mobilised people to catch and beat him to a pulp. At that time, Kingsley was not in the hospital,” she said.

    The woman said her brother told her that Kingsley accused him of stealing the car, despite all his explanation that he bought it from Onyekachi, his in-law; Onyekachi also confirmed that he was the one who sold the vehicle to my brother.

    “Kingsley was angry when he saw us in the hospital. My mother told him that it was someone who called her and told her that they saw her son in the hospital.

    “Kingsley said the operatives wanted to take my brother to Abuja for treatment. My mother and the doctor treating him protested that they could not take him in such a bad condition, but Kingsley insisted on taking my brother to Abuja,” Mrs. Ididia said.

    She recalled that it rained that day and that Kingsley dumped Festus, face up, in the police vehicle without a cloth.

    Mrs. Ididia claimed that the SARS operatives did not take Festus to any hospital in Abuja.

    She said despite several calls her mother placed on the number Kingsley gave her, he refused to pick the calls, until September 6, 2016, the day Felix died, when he asked the family to come to Abuja.

    “When I got to Abuja, he had already died. I didn’t see my brother. It was the nurse taking care of him at the cell who informed me that my brother suffered a lot in the cell, that he didn’t eat anything and was not taken to any hospital for treatment.”

    On what she wanted the panel to do, Mrs. Ididia said her family wanted a compensation of N200 million.

    Police lawyer Godwin Ijioma said he needed to get in touch with Inspector Kingsley to hear his side of the story.

    Ijioma sought an adjournment and panel’s chairman, Justice Suleiman Galadima (retd.), adjourned the matter till December 15 for cross-examination of the petitioner.

     

     

  • Over 1000 sign petition asking ‘Canada to deny DJ Switch asylum’

    Over 1000 sign petition asking ‘Canada to deny DJ Switch asylum’

    More than 1000 individuals have signed a petition asking the Canadian parliament to deny DJ Switch asylum in the country.

    There have been reports that Switch is seeking asylum in Canada amid a death threat allegation by the entertainer over her involvement during the #EndSARS protest.

    The petition, initiated by Femi Fako, is titled “Refuse the Canadian Asylum application of Ms. Obianuju Udeh and her associates now!”

    According to the petitioners, denying Switch and her associates asylum in Canada would guarantee they face the “terrorist charges” pressed against them in Nigeria.

    The campaigners also accused the DJ and other #EndSARS promoters of “inciting public unrest and destruction of properties worth trillions of naira to fix.”

    “A judicial panel of inquiry has since been instituted by the Lagos State government to inquire into these unfortunate times, but Ms. UDEH and her cohorts, who are the principal parties to these crimes, choose to jet out of Nigeria, and apply for asylum on very bogus terms,” it read.

    “Reject the asylum applications now! They must come back to Nigeria to face terrorist charges. It’s a must!”.

     

  • #EndSARS: Watch as DJ Switch testifies before Canadian parliament [VIDEO]

    #EndSARS: Watch as DJ Switch testifies before Canadian parliament [VIDEO]

    Obianuju Catherine Udeh, popularly known as DJ Switch recently shared testimony of her first hand experience of the Lekki Toll Gate shooting with the Parliament of Canada.

    She spoke with the Sub-committee on International Human Rights of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development of the Canadian parliament.

    DJ Switch, who recently got asylum from the Canadian government, revealed how soldiers shot at peaceful #EndSARS protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos State on October 20, 2020.

    The entertainer recounted the incident that led to the deaths of about a dozen protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate.

    She noted that the military opened fire on the protesters after creating a three-formation line.

    Debunking claims by the Nigerian Army that soldiers fired blank bullets into the air, DJ Switch said the soldiers shot at them.

    She told the Canadian parliament that she counted not less than seven persons shot, adding that one of the soldiers threatened to shoot her.

    Watch video below [PRESS PLAY]:

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    A post shared by Media/News Company (@thenewsgurung) on

  • BREAKING: Canada grants asylum to #EndSARS protester, DJ Switch

    BREAKING: Canada grants asylum to #EndSARS protester, DJ Switch

    Canada has granted asylum to DJ Switch, the #EndSARS protester who streamed live the shooting that happened at Lekki Toll gate in Lagos State.

    DJ Switch has reportedly relocated to Canada after several attempts on her life after the killing of peaceful #EndSARS protesters in Lekki.

    The sensational disc jockey revealed that soldiers shot at peaceful #ENDSARS protesters at Lekki Toll Gate, Lagos, and stated that they were sent to the protest ground on orders from above.

    She made this known while speaking with the Sub-committee on International Human Rights of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development of the Canadian parliament.

    Switch recounted the incident that led to the deaths of about a dozen protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate. She noted that the military opened fire on the protesters after creating a three-formation line. Debunking claims by the Nigerian Army that soldiers fired blank bullets into the air.

    According to Sahara reporters, she told the Canadian parliament that she counted not less than seven persons shot, adding that one of the soldiers threatened to shoot her.

    She added that the first gunshot was heard from behind, adding that it was chaotic as people were running in different directions so as not to be hit by a bullet until it was announced that protesters should lie on the floor.

    “I remembered the military came in first, they stopped shooting at some point and I walked up to one of them and I asked why he was shooting at us and he said he had express order from above, and I was coming too close to him and if I come too close, it would be considered an attack on him and he would have to shoot.

    “It didn’t take another ten minutes, the shooting started again. I remember seeing seven people that have been shot down and we were telling people on my live Instagram to help us call an ambulance.”

    “I have been on the move because they have been after my life. The first threat came in, I thought it was a joke, I sincerely thought it was a joke. Just as I was leaving, I got a phone call that I should leave the vicinity because there are military men at the hospital.

    “I had to abandon my home, I moved from people’s home, and then just to get out of Nigeria. I am still travelling, and I am not done with my trip”.

  • ‘Canada denying Nigerians visas unfairly’

    ‘Canada denying Nigerians visas unfairly’

    Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Canada, Amb. Adeyinka Asekun, says the host country is unfairly denying a lot of Nigerians visas including students.

    Asekun stated this during a webinar on Nigeria’s 60th Independence Anniversary organised by the mission on Thursday evening.

    He expressed the hope that the issue would be addressed in the draft bilateral agreement, which both countries have been working on, for better treatment of Nigerians in that regard.

    “Canada and Nigeria have for some time been working on a draft agreement that addresses a number of areas of mutual concern to both countries.

    “It is our further hope that a video conference call may be set up next spring latest to finalise the terms of this agreement.

    “What is most important about this agreement is that it is likely to address a situation in which a lot of Nigerian citizens are being denied visas when they should actually have been granted the visas.

    “We are looking for a situation in which the process will become much fairer and much more predictable.

    “And there are provisions in this agreement which will make it possible for us to get much better treatment,” he said.

    The envoy said many Nigerians were eager to study in Canada, but were denied the opportunity, adding that he hoped the situation would change when the agreement came into effect.

    However, Asekun said Nigeria and Canada have shared a long lasting and mutually beneficial relation in various areas since the former’s Independence in 1960.

    He acknowledged the Canadian government’s assistance to Nigeria, including its contribution to the establishment of a laboratory in Lagos in 2014 for effective management of infectious disease following the Ebola outbreak.

    The facility, according to him, has greatly helped Nigeria in the management and containment of COVID.

    On Nigeria’s Independence, the ambassador said the country is “destined to go the distance and stand the test of time”.

    “The theme of our anniversary at 60 is ‘60 Together’.

    “It emphasises the importance of our unity in diversity, which is a potential source of great strength and must continue to be built upon. Only we can do that,” he stated.

    Mr Rob Oliphant, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, said his country was host to no fewer than 11,000 Nigerian students.

    In a goodwill message on behalf of the minister, Oliphant also highlighted the strong relationship between Nigerian and Canada.

    However, he did not speak on the visa issue mentioned by the ambassador.

    His words: “The strong relationship between Canada and Nigeria is built on deep people-to-people ties.

    “Over 50,000 Canadians have Nigerian roots, some of them are my very good personal friends, and today over 11,000 Nigerian students are pursuing their studies in Canada.

    “They enrich Canadian universities. Of course they benefit from Canadian universities, but the benefit they bring to Canada is equal and extremely important.

    “Limited air travel does not weaken these important personal ties. In fact, it keeps us keenly looking forward to even more connection and reconnection.

    “On that note, let me again offer my personal heartfelt congratulations.

    “On behalf of the government of Canada, I wish Nigeria and its people a very happy 60th anniversary of independence. May God bless you all.”

    The event featured goodwill messages from prominent Nigerians in Canada, a documentary on Nigeria and a music interlude, cutting of the anniversary cake, among others.