Beckiux

700 Nigerians imprisoned illegally in Thailand, says group

A group operating on the platform of Nigerian Community Association, Thailand has alleged that over seven hundred Nigerians have been illegally imprisoned by the Thai authorities.The group made the disclosure at the weekend in Calabar while briefing journalists on the plight being experienced by innocent Nigerians in Thailand. The group said many Nigerians in Thailand have abandoned their legitimate businesses and run for their safety as a result of insecurity occasioned by the situation. Leader of the group, Bishop Frank Owali, who spoke on behalf of the group said based on the ill-treatment of innocent Nigerians in that country, they have appealed to President through the Foreign Affairs Minister, to use his position to intervene and arrest the ugly trend. Owali said the intervention of the president is necessary in order to protect the lives and property of Nigerians as well as save the good image of the country from being tarnished by a few unscrupulous and unpatriotic Nigerians in Thailand. The group accused one Mr. Jerry Obinabo, saying he connivances with high level individuals including staff of Nigerian Embassy to mastermind the illegal arrest and detention of unfortunate Nigerians who refused to fall prey to their alleged advanced fee fraud activities. Owali said the name of any person who refuses their advances to part with money would be forwarded to the security agencies in Thailand on trumped up charges such as drug trafficking and the person will be promptly arrested and detained. "Mr. Jerry sometimes presented himself as member of FBI and collaborates with illegal Thai Policemen to extort monies from his fellow Nigerians in Thailand. He is fond of fabricating and manufacturing evidence in conjunction with his Thai collaborators against Nigerians and has successfully sent many of them to various prisons. Jerry has become a thorn in the flesh of Nigerians; a terror and fearful person that Nigerians in Bangkok dread to see or hear of," Owali said. Owali said the facts as to why Nigerians are ususlly arrested came to the fore as a result of leadership tussle between some members of the country's community in Thailand which led to street protest about two months ago. Owali said "the crux of the matter and the primary reason for the protest of 23th August 2011, staged by aggrieved Nigerians was when the Nigerian Community discovered again a staggering and alarming video confession of a Nigerian who worked for Jerry's extortion network ran out of luck and was accordingly arrested by the Thai's law enforcement agents in the middle of their frivolous acts and taken to the Embassy for questioning", adding that not even the Embassy of Nigerian Authority reacted to the act. "The man confessed that he works for Jerry and feeds him with useful information of mostly innocent, ignorant and fearful Nigerians in order to plan a set-up against them. He went ahead to reveal names of many Nigerians in prison who refused to cooperate with them and their network through their cooked-up allegations such as drugs or sometimes ordinary semolina flour and send them to prison after extorting monies ranging from $28,000.00 from them". According to Owali who accused the Minister/Consular for concealing the evidence brought before them revealing the inhuman treatments of Nigerians in Diaspora, for appropriate legal action also presented a copy of a letter sent to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abuja, Mr. Gbenga Ashiru dated September 24, 2011 with the title, "The tears of Nigerians in Thailand, Save our souls" calling on the Nigerian Authorities to come to the rescue of the unsuspecting Nigerians who have been bedeviled for many years in the land, adding that the ugly situation has led some of them to untimely death. "Lives of Nigerians are in total danger because of the high level of betrayal, bitterness, injustice, maltreatment and helplessness in Thailand. The Nigerian Embassy which should be the last hope of Nigerians has turned against us as its officials are now using the Thai Police to intimidate, arrest and remand us in prison custody indefinitely without trial", Owali said.