The Nigerian Community Association Thailand (NCAT), an umbrella body of Nigerians living in Thailand, has petitioned President Goodluck Jonathan, saying they deserve a better deal from the Nigerian ambassador to the Asian country.
They alleged that the ambassador, Umaru Suleiman Azores, in collaboration with another Nigerian, Mr. Jerry Chike Obinabo have made life difficult for them.
Claiming that the duo connive with the Thai police to arrest, detain, torture and imprison Nigerians on trumped-up charges, they maintained that the ambassador was usually indifferent to the plight of his countrymen in Thai prisons, unlike his predecessor, Mr. Henry Offor. Furthermore, they alleged that the ambassador consistently refused to get involved when a Nigerian died there, pending the arrival of the deceased family.
Another issue raised was they way the money raised by the community for Nigerian prisoners and given to the ambassador was managed.
In a “Save Our Soul” letter signed by the President of NCAT, Mr. Akudo Gilbert Ndigwe to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and copied to the Presidency, the inspector general of police, the International Police (INTERPOL), the speaker of the House of Representatives, the National Human Rights Commission and the United Nations Human Rights Commission Treaties, the community charged the authorities to call the ambassador in Thailand to order.
The letter specifically called on President Jonathan to stop Azores from further submission of Nigerian passports to the Thai authorities and subsequent ordering of their arrest by the Thai police. The community is also asking the INTERPOL to bring Mr. Obinabo and officials of NCAT to Nigeria where they would both have a level playing ground to prove their innocence.
Painting a pathetic and horrible picture of their situation in Thailand, they said: “So many Nigerians are now on the run because Mr. Jerry has now taken the advantage of the ambassador’s action to terrorise the community the more.
Students are no longer going to school; businessmen close their shops; those that are working are afraid of going out of their houses because they are not sure of the security of their lives in Thailand.
The Nigerian embassy in Thailand now lives in enmity with the Nigerian community in the country. In fact, we speak as the four Syrians spoke in the Bible in Second Kings Chapter seven verses three to five.
We already have enough innocent Nigerians in Thai prison and we don’t want to increase their number.”
