PRESS STATEMENT IN CONNECTION WITH A FALSE PUBLICATION AGAINST MY PERSON.
Good morning ladies and gentlemen of the press. My name is Olarotimi Ajayi, till end of July 2012, a senior Nigerian Diplomat serving at the Nigerian Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela.
Prior to my retirement from the Service, I served the Nigerian Government meritoriously for 31 years in various capacities and rose through the ranks to the position of a Deputy Director before my retirement. I was also the Deputy Chief of Protocol in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before l went to Venezuela in December 2010 on diplomatic posting. In all my years of service, I have discharged my duties with honesty, dedication, integrity and the love for my nation.
This press release is a follow up to the rejoinder I wrote on 1st August 2012 published in the Nigerian voice on line newspaper (www.thenigerianvoice.com) in reaction to the false allegations made against my person in Leadership newspaper of 31st July 2012 through interview granted by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru. I requested the newspaper to publish my reaction to the said publication but it was not done for reasons best known to them. I wish to categorically reaffirm that l did NOT get involved in fraud or drugs or any other things that could stain the image of Nigeria or my personal image while I served in Venezuela. The said publication is entirely false and meant to disparage me, my integrity and reputation before the public. In fact, the lie to tarnish my family name is deliberate. As you will also read below, I was not deported.
Please find copies of my rejoinder which I sent to the Leadership newspaper but which was never published.
****************************************************************
As you can read from my rejoinder, there was a calculated attempt to discredit me and rubbish my good record in Service. It is part of Ambassador Oboro's vendetta which he expressed through a confidential memo to the Ministry of foreign Affairs against me and my Yoruba race. The facts of this ethnic bias and abuse of power were brought to the attention of the Permanent Secretary but could neither caution nor admonish Ambassador Oboro for inexplicable reasons.
On good records documented in a book titled “THE IJEBU OF YORUBALAND 1880-1950 Politics, Economy and Society written by Professor E. A. Ayandele, pages 71,102,245,267,284 etc, it was made known that my father made history as the FIRST IJEBU MAN to go to the University to acquire Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture, and was the FIRST indigenous Senior Tutor at Ijebu-Ode Grammar School and later held the highest post in the Ministry of Agriculture in the colonial period ( Copy of relevant pages mentioned above are attached with this press statement ). Furthermore, one of the foremost Senior Advocates of Nigerian Lawyers is a member of AJAYI FAMILY. The calculated attempt to rubbish my family name will therefore be taken to the law court for redress.
This press statement is to put the true position to the government and the public through the same medium they have used to call me names. More so, one of the principal appointees in the Ministry for reasons known to him, misinformed certain people on the lapses and the misappropriation of funds of Ambassador Felix Oboro with a view to maintaining their deliberate lie and appointment.
Before I arrived Venezuela In 2010, retired Ambassador A.O. Oyesola, mni, in 2006 led a team that comprised the present Permanent Secretary, Ambassador Martin Uhmoibihi, (then Director in Perm. Sec's office), Ambassador E. M. Obiako and Mr. Friday Okai a Foreign Service Officer to the Embassy to resolve crisis at the Mission in Venezuela. The report indicted Mr. Joshua Jock a local staff currently at the centre of all crisis in the Embassy. The present Permanent Secretary who was not only a signatory to the report but is in a position to implement their recommendation did not take firm position to redress the situation in the Embassy.
Also, preceding my arrival in Venezuela, a patriotic Nigerian, Mr. Akinyemi Akinseye had written against the ordinary passports racketeering in the Embassy in an on-line publication known as elombah newspaper of September 25,2010.( Kindly see www.elombah.com of September 25 2011 on “THE EXPLOTATION OF NIGERIANS BY THE NIGERIAN EMBASSY IN VENEZUELA”. Apparently the Ministry in its wisdom did not take necessary action to investigate the publication because it involved Ambassador Oboro. Incidentally, one of the officers mentioned in the Elombah publication was also indicted by two Nigerians caught with drugs around April 2012 on arrival from Venezuela at the Murtala Mohammed international airport Lagos for facilitating the issuance of their travelling documents. The only thing the Embassy did was to remove the concerned officer from his/ her desk to another desk. No query was issued to be best of my knowledge!
Ambassador Felix Oboro, used estacode to divide officers in other to cover his fraudulent activities and Lapses. He used to send other officers particularly the Attaches to me to pretend to be friendly to get my views but I played along. In the process I received much information and documents from them on Ambassador Oboro activities and all of this information I passed on to the appropriate authorities at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja. I will throw more light in the law court. They were however, over whelmed by the temptation of estacode.
The accountant who retired in March 2012 and was to have returned home was rewarded by allowing her to remain in the Embassy as at August 2012 whereas the officer that retired in July 2012 (my humble self) was forced to leave because I have been a whistle blower. One of the officers whose wife was not sick or surgically operated presented a medical bill of $23,000 which someone in the Embassy has verbally promised to approve for payment as an inducement! As I am talking now, there are other officers who have retired and allowed to remain in their Missions. IS THIS NOT DOUBLE STANDARD AND VINDICTIVENESS FROM THE MINISTRY BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN A WHISTLE BLOWER ?
The same Embassy accountant went to HSBC, the Embassy Bank at Fleet Street London, in June 2011 to withdraw funds for the Embassy with a cheque mistakenly bearing different amount for withdrawal. The bank official vide a mail dated June 27, 2011 contacted me. How she was able to withdraw the money without the endorsement of the Head of Administration (Head of Chancery) in the Embassy is not clear. Copy of the mail from the bank is also available. HSBC will not risk its reputation by covering fraudulent activities. To get to the root of such practices, the Federal Government is respectfully requested to direct the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate his misappropriation of funds, lapses and that of other officers.
Another information which will be of interest to the Federal government, the Nigerian public, anti-corruption agencies/anti-corruption organizations is keeping government funds in personal bank account in New York. Seeing the way and manner Ambassador Oboro manipulated the funds of the Embassy, Ambassador/ Permanent Representative of Nigeria to Africa-South America Cooperation Forum (ASACOF) introduced a method of ASACOF's funds at HSBC, Fleet Street branch, London to a personal bank account in New York. As at July 2012, the Head of the Organisation is the sole signatory to ASACOF's bank account instead of two signatories in ASACOF. Kindly note that the Embassy accountant manages ASACOF's bank account.
I will throw light in the law court on the master mind, and the critical role the two Administrative Attaches in the Embassy played in the publication: “Nigerian Ambassador searched for drugs at Venezuelan Airport” published in an on line newspaper “the will” of 28 December 2011 out of frustration and bitterness against Ambassador Oboro. (Kindly goggle www.ambassador Felix Oboro).
Had the Permanent Secretary investigated the whole issue, he would have known the truth but he zeroed on me by recalling me without due process because of his disposition to Amb Oboro. As such, he erred occasioning serious miscarriage of Justice in this case.
The Permanent Secretary should therefore resign for such bias and abuse of power and public office. I therefore went to the law court in Abuja to obtain court injunction because of my innocence. The court order vide Affidavit of Service of suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/242/2012 was not obeyed or respected by the Ministry, copy of same is available. I have not been the first officer to take the Ministry of foreign Affairs to the law court. Even drivers in 2004 or there about, have taken the Ministry to the law court to seek redress. A retired Foreign Service Officer very close to the Permanent Secretary and some colleagues also took the Ministry to the law court some years ago.
The headline of the press release in the Leadership newspaper of 31st July 2012 is not only a cheap attempt to put my name, the reputation and achievement of my entire family, my association with friends at home and abroad into disrepute but to protect the fraudulent activities of Amb. Oboro, and to discourage me from talking about the monumental fraud and other illegalities in the Nigerian Embassy, Caracas, Venezuela which could expose further fraudulent activities in the Ministry. It might have also been designed to discourage other whistle blowers from exposing corrupt practices in the Ministry.
I therefore challenge the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to act fast through the law court or through the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) by providing good evidence that I defrauded any one in Venezuela or detained for fraud. Their lie is deliberate. I have never been queried or indicted for fraud or drugs. I am aware, the report of the visit of the Foreign Service Inspectorate (FSI) in 2011, and other submissions by the same Foreign Service Inspectorate (FSI) indicted Ambassador Oboro and NOT AJAYI. YET HE REMAINS TILL THIS MOMENT AND POSSIBLY THEREAFTER THE NIGERIAN AMBASSADOR TO VENEZUELA.
In a good environment, Ambassador Felix Oboro who has been indicted by the Ministry for frauds, other lapses and the breached of the security of the Embassy and the accountant who acted outside the extant rules and regulations, would have been facing accelerated prosecution for acts injurious to the image of the country. It is indeed painful that the leadership in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not ask him to refund other funds he misappropriated from the Embassy. This is another attempt to encourage the looting of Embassy funds/Public funds!
BELOW ARE OTHER FRAUDULENT ACTIVITIES AND LAPSES BY AMB. OBORO WHICH THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS HAS ATTEMPTED TO DIVERT ATTENTION FROM, OR IGNORED OR COVERED UP:
a. Amb. Oboro made Mr. Victor Anamalechi Anyanwu, the former President of Nigerian Welfare Association to claim the paternity of his own grandson when the biological father is alive to enable his grandson claim Venezuelan nationality. Mr. Anamelechi was recently caught with high grade drugs in South Africa on his way to Nigeria. The grandson was issued with Venezuelan passport No: DO395896 and Nigerian entry visa No: E1504959 on 12/08/2010.That by itself is a fraud known to the Venezuelan government and other diplomatic Missions in Venezuela. In fact, in Venezuela, this undiplomatic act of his portrays ALL NIGERIAN AMBASSADORS, SERVING OR RETIRED AS PERSONS OF QUESTIONABLE CHARACTER. Copy of the entry visa is available to clear doubts. Report of this fraud was made to the Permanent Secretary. Meanwhile, the appropriate quarters should find out the type of travelling document Mr. Victor Anamelechi Anyanwu used to travel on that occasion. The Ministry may also find out the level of relationship between Amb. Oboro and Mr. Anamelechi.
b. Ambassador Oboro was searched for drugs at the Caracas airport even though he was recognised as Nigerian Ambassador in Venezuela. He made Mr. Joshua Jock, a controversial local staff to use the VIP lounge to evade procedural search by Venezuelan Customs on their way to Nigeria the day he was searched for drugs at Caracas airport. Is (was) Mr. Jock a local staff in the Embassy under diplomatic immunity?This issue became an embarrassing scandal within the diplomatic circle in Venezuela.
c. Since 2008, Amb. Oboro has been collecting the salary of EIGHT (8) domestic staff instead of FOUR (4) approved in his letter of appointment. His kind attention was drawn to it as violation of approved privileges. Rather than effect correction before my report was made to Abuja, someone in the Embassy, twice sponsored my assassination inside the Embassy in 2011 and that of the former Director, Foreign Service inspectorate and his officers to cover up his fraudulent activities and lapses. The report of the inspection team indicted him and was queried vide letter ref. No: INSC/88/111 dated 6th Jan.2012and equally was instructed to refund vide telegram No: S.09 dated 22/2/2012 PART OF THE UNAUTHORISED EXPENSES. Copies are available I WAS NOT INDICTED! The Ministry has for reasons known to it, swept this fraud under the carpet. Is this what both the Hon. Minister of foreign Affairs and the Permanent Secretary did when they served as Ambassadors abroad?
d. Ambassador Felix Oboro, admitted in writing to JP MORGAN CHASE BANK, 825,UNITED NATIONS,PLAZA,NEW YORK,USA, via letter without a reference number but dated 24 February 2011 that the Embassy withdrew the sum of $100,000
( One hundred thousand dollars ) to buy a vehicle. Details of the vehicle were given in the letter but NO VEHICLE was bought for the use of the Embassy. The only Jeep (vehicle) bought by the Head of Mission in 2010 was SHIPPED to Bayelsa State for his personal use. This was conveyed vide report ref. No: NIGC/101/125/111 of June 02, 2011 to the Ministry. He is yet to acknowledge and react to the report. Copy of the letter to Chase bank is available.
e. Amb. Oboro presents frivolous out of pocket expenses/bills to siphon Embassy funds. I had to request Abuja for “SUPLEMENTARY/SPECIAL ALLOCATION TO PAY HIS OUTSTANDING OUT OF POCKET EXPENSES OF $ 99,419.59 vide reports Ref. No. NIGC/101/118/VOL. 111 dated 25 April 2011 and 10th August, 2011." Till today, the Ministry has not reacted to it but I was privileged to know that someone highly connected in the Ministry has verbally informed him to collect the money ($99,419.59) and other entitlements I refused to endorse for payment.
f. Another monumental fraud of AMB. Oboro is his excessive claims on entertainment which is far beyond the $450 (four hundred and fifty dollars) approved monthly allowance. From January 2010 to September 2011, he claimed $45,294.92 which is not $450 monthly that should be accompanied by guest list of not more than 15 individuals. In July and August 2008, he claimed $2,869.9 far beyond $900 ( $450 x 2).Yet, the leadership in the Ministry has not instructed him to refund the excess. Neither have they talked about that of 2009. The official breakdown is available. Will both the Hon. Minister of foreign Affairs and the Permanent Secretary accept this monumental fraud from an Ambassador who is not from Bayelsa State? He was queried vide letter ref .No. INSC/88/111 dated 6th Jan.2012.copy of which is available.
g. Unauthorised medical expenses of $74,029.08 incurred on his step son above 18 years which he has been instructed to refund. HAS HE REFUNDED? HE WAS NOT GIVEN THE TIME LIMIT TO REFUND vide Telegram No. S 09 of 22/2/2012 available to clear doubts.
h. Ambassador Oboro's brazing attempt to pay $21,475.00 estacode allowance of five (5) immigration officers WITHOUT approval of the Ministry to pay them to travel to Colombia and Ecuador which were not part of their programme of visit. They were paid their normal estacode by their establishment in Abuja to visit Venezuela. He hurriedly arranged for their flight tickets in local currency to enable him collect refund in US dollars. Letter dated May 3rd, 2011 from the Travel agent and the directive of Ambassador Oboro to me whether he can ask someone to give the Embassy money to pay is available to avoid doubts.
i. He kept away from Accounts internal auditors the personal files of Mr. Joshua Jock and Mrs. Mohandai Surujpaul when they visited the Embassy to audit its accounts in 2011. The Permanent Secretary was informed; nothing was said or done on the issue. Copy is available please.
j. Seventy per cent (70%) of the visas issued to Venezuelans and other foreigners to travel to Nigeria were not issued in the Embassy but from outside the Embassy by unauthorised person known to the Embassy. Likewise the Emergency travel certificate (ETC) issued to Nigerians. Efforts made to reorganise Consular section was frustrated by Amb. Oboro, the Consular officer and Mr. Joshua Jock whom Amb. Oboro has been instructed to sack vide telegram No: S.09 dated 22/2/2012 but refused to implement the instruction of the Hon. Minister of Foreign Affairs and nothing has been done to him. This is loss of revenue to the country. The Hon. Minister of foreign Affairs should therefore take responsibility and resign his appointment to allow those who will take firm decision and implement their authority take the saddle.
k. Amb. Oboro was instructed to relieve Mr. Joshua Jock and Mrs Mohandai Surulpaul of their employment and he has refused. He verbally says the Venezuelan government will confirm if they are moles. In other words, Nigerian Embassy is administered by the Venezuelan government. Who is the boss between the Hon. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Permanent Secretary and Amb. Oboro? Will Mrs. Hilary Clinton, American Secretary of State give such instruction to the American Ambassador in Abuja and he will refuse to implement? Or will the Ghanaian Foreign Minister give such instruction to its High Commissioner in Abuja and he will refuse to implement? There is no gain saying the truth, both the Hon. Minister and the Permanent Secretary should resign their appointments if they respect President Goodluck Jonathan. They might have compromised themselves before Ambassador Oboro.
l. Amb. Oboro issued both Mr. Joshua Jock and Mrs. Mohandai Surujpaul leave advice in November 18, 2011 to prevent disciplinary action against them. This is contrary to the established procedure. Copy is available please.
m. Before and after my arrival in Venezuela in 2010, Ambassador Oboro and his wife always accompany the Finance Attache ( Accountant) to the bank in New York and I stopped it vide my report ref No: NIGC/101/118/VOL 111 dated April 25,2011 forwarded to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, because it was demeaning to do such.! Copy is available.
n. May be the Federal government will instruct Ministry of foreign Affairs to investigate why Ambassador Oboro encourages a particular officer to go to New York to carry non available diplomatic bag! Efforts to correct this was resisted.
o. Till August 2012, the Nigerian Ambassador to Venezuela, has not written any report (despatch) on how to improve relations with Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador since 2008 whereas I have written well over 120 Economic, Political, Trade & Investment, other sundry and telegram reports between January 2011 and February 2012 to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Foreign Service inspectorate has also indicted him on this.
p. Amb. Oboro was always on his way to Nigeria without approval of the Ministry as required till I stood my ground. On record he has neither brought nor encouraged the Venezuelan, Colombian and Ecuadorian investors who wanted to invest in Nigeria since 2008 to do so. If he had shown enough commitment to exploring the oil found in certain parts of the country, every part of Nigeria would boost of enough oil and gas particularly for domestic purposes.
q. In fact, my analysis of political landscape of Venezuelan election to the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Ministry has been proved firmly right with the winning of Presidential election by President Hugo Chavez Frias. My efforts to bring institutional investors to Nigeria was frustrated by the Permanent Secretary by not giving me approval vide my letter ref NIGC/9001/5/1 dated 25 November, 2011.
BREACH OF EMBASSY SECURITY BY TWO LOCAL STAFF.
Ambassador Felix Oboro admitted in writing that he gave the key to the Embassy to two local staff to open the Chancery in the absence of any of his officers (copy is available). The issue was taken up with him but he justified his decision in writing that one of the local staff is a trusted aide. Even the officer who should have protested against such or report to the Ministry the embarrassment to the security system in the Embassy supported him because she wanted to be relevant.
Meanwhile, the two local staff concerned are moles of the Venezuelan government. One of the two local staff has his/her handler in the Venezuelan Ministry of Foreign Affairs Special department, while the other one has his/her handler in the Venezuelan Ministry of Defence intelligence unit. He cannot and he will never sack them even though he has been instructed by Abuja to sack them to which he has refused because they will expose him. I have been privileged to know that through them, their handlers were used to effect my kidnapping at Caracas airport and my forceful exit from Venezuela.
The remaining local staff are under the firm control of the two moles in the Embassy. All the Attaches and certain Foreign Service officers in the Embassy have played into their hand. Hence they can't do anything against them. Two of the Venezuelan security guards confirmed that the two local staff also visit the Embassy alone at odd hours!
This is the first time a Nigerian Ambassador protects the interest of the receiving State rather than the interest of the sending State. He should have been made to pay for his indiscretion which has exposed the security of the Embassy and by extension the country to ridicule. No civilised country will accept Ambassador Oboro's extreme poor judgement and behaviour to allow him to remain in Venezuela as Nigeria Head of Mission. I will throw more light in the law court.
COMMENDATION GIVEN TO ME BY BAYELSA STATE GOVERNMENT, MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND CERTAIN EMBASSIES IN ABUJA BECAUSE OF MY INTEGRITY.
a. In October 23, 2003, I was commended for protecting the integrity of Nigeria in Ukraine as Charge d'Affaires (Acting Head of Mission) in a letter ref. No: SSG/COM/70/XX forwarded to the then Hon. Minister of Foreign Affairs for the successful visit of the former Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha led delegation to that country. I am proud that I contributed immensely to the scholarship scheme the former governor later awarded to Bayelsa State indigenes to study in Ukraine and Russia. As at October 2003, President Goodluck Jonathan was the Deputy Governor to Chief Alamieyeseigha. Copy of the letter is also available for your kind attention.
b. In addition, late Ambassador Ignatius Hekaire Ajuru, commended me for predicting and analysing in advance the Orange revolution in Ukraine before he arrived that country in 2004.
c. In March 9, 2009, the former Swedish Ambassador in Nigeria, after the Swedish Trade delegation visited Lagos, particularly, Rivers and Bayelsa States in Niger Delta when that region was a pariah region, gave me a letter of commendation copy of which is available.
d. I was commended as the Deputy Chief of Protocol by the Gambian High Commission in Abuja vide Note verbale No: GHC/A/MFA-N/LY/DE/ (107) dated 14th July, 2010 for leading a two man team that collected heavy refund of money on its behalf from a Nigerian. The note verbal is at page 123 of official file no: BP 11/29 VOL.1, in Protocol department in the Ministry. After the collection of the refund, certain colleagues blamed me for not collecting a percentage for the two man team. For me a good name is better than riches. Copy of the Note verbal is available for your kind perusal. (I will not divulge the names of the colleagues concerned).
e. Similarly, in 2009, I was given a letter of commendation Ref. No: INSG/416/VOL.1 dated 02nd July 2009 by Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for returning the balance of over payment of N761, 250 made to me without being prompted by anybody, when I was to travel with two officers to Switzerland on official assignment. Copy of the letter is available for your attention. For me, good name is better than riches. A retired senior colleague whom I have highest regard for, has even reacted in my favour to the press release of the Hon. Minister of Foreign Affairs by writing me that the Hon. Minister has been misinformed. After returning the over payment, certain colleagues abused me for returning such money.(I will also not divulge the names of the colleagues concerned).
f. The Foreign Service Inspectorate Department in the Ministry of foreign Affairs in one of its submissions commented/recommended that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should commend me for my regular and constant Political, Economic, Trade and Investment; and sundry reports to the Ministry to keep the Federal government abreast of developments in the three countries the Embassy covers.
MY KIDNAPPING AND UNLAWFUL DETENTION
I was not the first Nigerian Embassy staff; Ambassador Felix Oboro wanted to forcefully send out of Venezuela. He had instigated the exit of Mr. Charles Ibeh, a Nigerian local staff driver through the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry vide Note verbal No: 091/2010 dated 11th June, 2010 issued and personally endorsed by him before my arrival in Venezuela ( Copy of note verbal No: 091/2010 dated 11th June, 2010 is available) . My intervention saved Mr. Ibeh who later resigned and returned to Nigeria. Till date, the Embassy is yet to pay the full terminal entitlements of Mr. Ibeh! My investigation showed he wanted Mr. Ibeh out of Venezuela NOT only for knowing much of his activities but because of his ethnic cleansing policy!! Mr. Ibeh was the Nigerian driver that drove Ambassador Oboro and family when they arrived that country in 2008.Likewise, Mrs. Alex-Oni, the respectable Embassy accountant had it rough in the hand of Ambassador Oboro.
However, I have to talk about my kidnapping which was sponsored and in respect of which the Federal government abdicated its cardinal constitutional obligation to protect Nigerians let alone a Nigerian diplomat sent to promote its national interest in three countries.
According to statistics, 1,150 individuals were kidnapped in Venezuela in 2011. As at August 2012, Mexican Ambassador and his wife, Costa Rican diplomat, Wilson Ramos the US baseball star and Peru diplomat were kidnapped. l was kidnapped on July 19th 2012 in a commando style at the immigration desk of the Caracas international airport and unlawfully detained despite my diplomatic immunity and tortured allegedly on the instigation of Ambassador Oboro as his own pound of flesh for blowing up the frauds in the Embassy by Venezuelan security operatives on my return from Washington DC after writing promotion examination from grade level 16 to 17.
An objective on-line newspaper, (thenigerianvoice.com) published the kidnapping story from the beginning till Thursday 10th August 2012 when l was forced to leave Venezuela with the flight ticket joyfully bought by the Embassy on August 9th 2012 from my entitlements Vide travel agent receipt No. 7554 of the same date. Sahara reporters also published same. With the purchase of the flight ticket by the Embassy from my entitlements, I was not deported in accordance with the diplomatic norms. The Embassy tricked my wife to collect part of my entitlements without letter of authorization from me. Maybe this is one of the new accounting procedure introduced by the Hon. Minister, Permanent Secretary and Amb. Felix Oboro. She only requested for flight tickets to leave the country! I still have my entitlements held up in the Embassy and in the Ministry!
Furthermore, after my kidnap, I was forcefully taken to SEBIN INTELLIGENCE Airport HQ where I was interrogated and tortured. I was interrogated on the following:
i. That I visited the United States of America to discuss with American government on how to destabilise Venezuela. The interrogators realised from my response that l went to write approved promotion examination and that we were three that went from the Embassy.
ii. That my Venezuelan valid visa had expired but I showed them Photostat copy of my diplomatic passport that my visa will expire on 10th October, 2012.
iii. That there was war/red alert on me by FGN which I disputed as an officer of Ambassadorial rank. The two man interrogators then exclaimed that Ambassador Oboro misinformed the Venezuelan authorities. They therefore gave me their telephone numbers to call if I was not released by 20th July, 2012. I called them, they reaffirmed that I would be released but nothing was done.
iv. Eventually, the Venezuelan Authorities was made to say it was my landlord whom l did not have any problem with that reported me. It was the Embassy that was paying my house rent. l did not sign any tenancy Agreement with the landlord. A Venezuelan immigration officer confirmed this to me. To buttress this, Ambassador Oboro in telegram no: 15 dated 15/5/2012 signed and addressed to the Permanent Secretary states among other things that: "The landlord says it is not his responsibility to quit Ajayi because he signed a contract with the Embassy and not with Ajayi" Copy of the telegram is available! So who is fooling who?
During my unlawful detention, I was denied medical attention despite the fact that I was kept in a mosquito, ants and flies invested rooms. No food was provided and was in the same room with a Venezuelan drug peddler till I was moved into an unventilated room invested with ants, mosquito's and flies. All appeal that I had to undergo a surgical operation in Caracas was turned down. Also, appeal for me to collect my medical history was rebuffed.
From nowhere two people l call merchants of death visited me as medical doctors to attempt to give me injection l did not request but l refused because l had been tipped off that someone in the Embassy had arranged that l should be injected with poisonous virus to ensure l suffer loss of memory. I have been privileged to know through someone well informed that one of the key appointees in the Ministry in Abuja conveyed this method to Caracas. Similar attempt was planned through food they wanted to supply when l made jest of them for keeping me without supplying food. The key appointee in the Ministry informed certain people that I have been critical and vocal against the misappropriation of funds by Ambassador Oboro in the Embassy. In other words, the key appointee supports corruption the Federal Government is fighting!.
My kidnap and subsequent unlawful detention without any formal charges was tumultuous, painful, incomprehensible, violative of my fundamental human rights, violation of Vienna Conventions signed to by Nigeria and Venezuela; violation of international Law and civilised norms to protect foreigners and indeed diplomats. It seems there were clear complicity with the Ministry of foreign Affairs Abuja as I was reliably informed of a letter from the Ministry informing the Venezuelan government to stripe me off of my diplomatic immunity. Even Venezuelan government and other foreign Embassies were dazed with the attitude of the Ministry.
During my ordeal, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs set up a “Kangaroo” Administrative committee that did nothing to contact me or attempt to seek my release but was in contact with Ambassador Oboro. The telegram purportedly sent to the Embassy to seek my release was put aside and not implemented by Ambassador Oboro to prolong my suffering in detention.
Mr. Friday Okai in the office of the Permanent Secretary, known for his close relationship with the Permanent Secretary was a member of the Committee. His membership has discredited the composition of the Committee. I therefore rejected the report of the Committee because I was not contacted and due to the closeness of Mr. Friday Okai to the Permanent Secretary. Colleagues with conscience have frowned against the composition of the Committee. Other reasons will be made known in the Law court.
The acting Consular Officer / officer on training Programme came to see me on PERSONAL BASIS TWICE on 23rd and 24th July 2012 Not FIVE TIMES as Ambassador Oboro tells people while Ambassador Christy Mbonu and Mr. Fred Egbundike visited on 06/8/2012 and agreed with me when I said I would leave at the end of August 2012 after packing my personal effects and obtaining stop over visas.
The question is: who is the boss between Amb Felix Oboro, the Hon. Minister and the Permanent Secretary? Whose directive is superior? Both the Hon. Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Permanent Secretary should on moral ground resign their appointments if they have professional conscience and have any respect for President Goodluck Jonathan. The three of them have no respect for the rule of law and the Nigerian Constitution. I will spill the beans in the law court.
May I ask the Permanent Secretary to confirm to the Nigerian public in general and EFCC in particular the information that he was collecting his Foreign Service allowance for months after he had fully disengaged from Permanent Mission of Nigeria in Geneva? EFCC SHOULD KINDLY DO A THOROUGH AND UNBIASED INVESTIGATION OF THIS INFORMATION. I may not believe the information but it is imperative for him to clear the air. What is the reason of non-payment of officer's entitlements or unnecessary delay to pay in the Ministry when the Federal Government has provided funds to Tafawa Balewa House? I may not believe the information, but it is necessary for him to clear the air!
May l also request the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs to kindly confirm the date he retired from the Service, the date he vacated the residence of the High Commissioner and the date he returned to Nigeria from South Africa. I may not believe what people have said, but he should be gracious to confirm that to the Nigerian public with documentary evidence!
This is not the first time a Non-Career Ambassador will abuse his appointment by misinforming the host authorities or the agent of the host authorities to detain a career officer whenever such officer stands on professionalism. The Nigerian government should kindly express displeasure to the inhuman, undiplomatic, anti-Vienna convention and the treatment meted out to its senior diplomat who did not violate the security of Venezuela and his privileges? The Venezuelan government should be blamed for getting involved in Embassy Affairs.
The Federal government should not ignore the kidnapping issue .It could happen to anyone in future in any country that does not respect human rights and Vienna Conventions. The government should over haul the Nigerian Embassy in Venezuela to its foundation to enable it meet its Station Charter. Errering personalities should face EFCC while government should demand for compensation on my behalf and an apology from the Venezuelan government.
Finally, information on hand is that certain people have planned to independently inspire my assassination. One of them is a Director from the Eastern part of the country in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, another one from South West recently returned from postings and has been posted abroad within short notice to retire in one of our Embassy's and a senior immigration officer from Ilorin who is to provide sharp shooters.
Another person boastfully said in Venezuela that his restless boys will eliminate me in Nigeria. THE SAME PERSON GARULLOUSLY INFORMED PEOPLE IN CARACAS THAT THE SECURITY AGENCIES WILL DEAL WITH ME IN NIGERIA. There may be others lurking in the corner to take pound of flesh on behalf of one of the principal appointees in the Ministry affected by my exposure of cover ups within the Ministry. The Presidency, Inspector General of Police and SSS should kindly note this and protect me from assault, assassination and instigated arrest for being a whistle blower. The same person in Venezuela and his key supporter in the Ministry were overheard at different times that they will contact the Federal Civil Service Commission to fail me in the promotion examination which I sat for in the United State of America and was Kidnapped upon arrival on July 19, 2012. God and eternal conscience will also judge this aspect!
My Attorney is heading to court to seek redress on my behalf on these matters and others which I cannot disclose now as it would be used in the court of law.
I thank you.