Presidency denies receiving petition on Nigerian detained in US

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has denied receiving any petition on a Nigerian detained by the United States authority.

Dabiri-Erewa gave the explanation through her Media Aide, Mr Abdur-Rahman Balogun, on Tuesday in Abuja.

Dabiri-Erewa said the attention of the Office of the Presidential Aide had been drawn to an online publication about a Nigerian detained in the U. S.

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She said the publication entitled “Family of US detained Nigerian man cries out, seeks FG’s intervention,” was false.

NAN recalls that an online medium had reported that Mr Olufolajimi Abegunde, a Nigerian resident in Atlanta, Georgia was detained by the U. S. authority since February.

He was accused of harbouring a friend who was allegedly involved in a questionable financial transaction.

The report added that the detained Nigerian had sought for the federal government’s intervention.

Dabiri-Erewa, however, said that the report was false as no correspondence was received by her on the issue.

”We have checked our records and there is no such letter ever received in our office as the Commission has not even been set up as at the time the said petition was reportedly submitted.

”Secondly, all the line of communication is open for any public complaint which we respond to as soon as practicable.

”The complainant or any other aggrieved Nigerian is advised to officially channel the communication to the Secretary or Secretariat of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission,” she said.

She said that the commission could not treat any issue base on the on online report.

Dabiri-Erewa said that all petitions should be channelled through ssa@diaspora.gov.ng or submitted at the office or call +2348174383962.