AN OPEN LATTER TO THE NIGERIA HIGH COMMISSION IN MALAYSIA ON THE INCREASING RATE OF CRIMES ALLEGEDLY COMMITTED BY SOME NIGERIANS IN MALAYSIA AND THE REPORTS OF THE ALLEGED UNOFFICIAL CONDUCT OF SOME STAFF OF THE COMMISSION
Your Excellency:
Mr. Nurudeen Babatunde Ayinla,
The Acting Nigeria High Commissioner to Malaysia.
It is with a grief-stricken mind that I am writing this open letter which brings to your attention, the increasing rate of criminal activities committed by some Nigerians in Malaysia as well as the reports of alleged dishonorable conduct of some staff of the Commission.
Permit me to state that since the departure of the erstwhile High Commissioner, Mr. Peter J.E. Anegbeh, your humble efforts aimed at repositioning the Commission as a responsive and responsible entity have been encouraging. Although one may disagree with your stance on some issues, in my humble estimation, you have used your charming personal attributes to improve on the Commission’s intra and inter personal and communal relations. This said, may I bring to your notice the following observations which if no decisive interventionist effort is launched to address them, your reign as the Acting Head of the Nigeria High Commission in Malaysia may go down on the wrong side of history, a development which, I hope and pray will and should not happen to your distinguished person.
1) Nigeria was on the dark side of the news on Wednesday, April 27, 201,1 following the arrest of a Nigerian national alongside 13 others, who were allegedly involved in stealing electrical items worth more than RM200, 000. According to South Klang Police Chief, Mohamad Mat Yusof, “all 311 items were stored in a warehouse in Taman Sentosa Perdana.” “Following a tip-off,” the 37-year old Nigerian was as explicated Mat Yusof “arrested at Kampung Melayu Subang at 5pm” on April 26, 2011. Mat Yusof further added, “the stolen items are believed to be headed for African countries.” The Star Newspaper, Wednesday, April 27, 2011. I suppose you would agree with me that Nigeria might based on this news be seen as a safe-haven for stolen goods.
2) On Tuesday, May 11, 2011, the Nigerian community’s image in Malaysia nosedived due to another widely reported drug related crime allegedly involving a Nigerian. As reported the New Strait Times, a 22-year old Nigerian who is a student schooling at a private college in Kuala Lumpur was on May 10, 2011 at 9.30pm found with 18 slabs of compressed cannabis valued at RM45,000 in a raid at Lye Huat Garden.
3) It was again another bad day for well-meaning Nigerian resident in Malaysia when on Saturday, May 13, 2011, and Sunday, May 14, 2011, two Nigerians aged 32 and 31 were arrested at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. In their possession was as allegedly reported, a RM2.41 million worth of syabu stashed inside vegetables, hollowed-out tapioca and sweet potato. As narrated Selangor Police Narcotics Chief Assistant Commissioner Nordin Kadir, the arrested Nigerians, “arrived on a flight from Lagos, Nigeria” New Strait Times, Tuesaday, May, 17, 2011.
4) The news item on Nigeria on Friday, May 20, 2011 was not different from the earlier ones cited above. It was on this day reported that Nigerian scammers posing as Britons who were operating with local Malaysian women as accomplices were nabbed at Serdang Raya, Seri Kembangan, Selangor. One of these Nigerians who as reported was operating as 'Greg Kennedy,' subsequently as 'Clinton Morris' 'James Mattson,' and later as ‘Mr. John Miller,’ duped a 43-year-old Taiwanese businesswoman a sum of RM380,000. Arrested alongside this Nigeria was a 26-year-old Nigerian college student believed to be an accomplice, at an apartment in Cheras. The news reportage further quoted Datuk Rodwan Mohd, the Federal Commercial Crime Deputy as saying, “48 Nigerians and their accomplices have been caught over the past four months in connection with parcel scams that has left the authorities baffled over how easily some women are sucked into parting with their life savings.” The Malay Mail, Friday, May 20, 2011.
5) Again, I was privileged to witness on Monday, May 23, 2011, a Guinean student, Mr. Camara Abdoul Karim irately report the case of a Nigerian whose records of swindling people of their hard earned money is known to the officials of the Commission, particularly those who served during the era of your predecessor. Mr. Camara reported how one Mr. Ahmad Umar fraudulently collected a sum of RM1500 from him for a service never rendered. As narrated Mr. Camara, while he was looking for a new apartment where he was to reside with his family, he came across Mr. Ahmad Umar who promised to let out his apartment to him. Mr. Camara who moved into the said apartment on November 13, 2010 paid Mr. Ahmad Umar a sum of RM1500 to pay for the outstanding water and electricity bills incurred by the latter. This was a sacrifice made by Mr. Camara so that water and electricity could be restored back to this apartment. To Mr. Camara’s consternation, Mr. Ahmad refused to pay the said electricity and water bills, hence, the former’s frustration in putting up in an apartment whose water and electricity supply had been cut off. Realizing that Mr. Ahmad was nowhere to be found, Mr. Camara explained how he toiled to look for another apartment within the same environs, consequently, his relocation to Block 10-6 Idaman Sutera on November, 19, 2010. Since then, Mr. Camara reported how he made several fruitless phone calls to Mr. Ahmad requesting the refund of his money. He said he got frustrated when at a point Mr. Ahmad chose to stop picking his calls, thus, his resolve to approach some Nigerians in securing his money from Mr. Ahmad.
This strategy, he explained in a cry-laden voice, yielded no result. However, he said, it took the use of confrontational approach before he was able to retrieve RM500 from Mr. Ahmad, who pledged to pay the outstanding RM1000. Follow up efforts aimed at retrieving this amount met with further frustration, Mr. Camara explained. He went further to explain how he used a foreign phone card to reach Mr. Ahmad recently, who, again, cut off the phone on realizing that it was him, Mr. Camara who was making effort to get his money. In a discussion with a group of Nigerians on May 23, 2011, Mr. Camara vowed to beat up Mr. Ahmad and wondered aloud why such man could be made Nigerian president in Malaysia. He went further to state that Mr. Ahmad claimed to be a staff of the Nigeria High Commission in recent times. Although the flawed and falsified claim of Mr. Ahmad as the President of a known Nigerian group in Malaysia was made known to Mr. Camara, the issue however is that the Nigeria High Commission’s involvement in the sham process which made Ahmad what he is not further raises a grave concern on the much held opinion that our Commission is aiding and abetting questionable characters who are known to be tarnishing our image. This same personality was once involved in a two-layered case of defrauding some Nigerians a staggering amount. It was within the premises of the Nigeria High Commission that this issue was mediated and hence his release by the group that kidnapped him as a punishment for his dubious activity. Same Ahmad is known to be involved in several other related cases. Since effort is ongoing to get Mr. Ahmad arrested, what is the probability that this might not dent the image of the Commission under whose illegal auspices Ahmad is patronizing himself as the Head of Nigerian community in Malaysia?
The next section of this letter focuses on some complaints that I have come across in recent times on the untoward and unofficial activities of some staff of the High Commission.
6) On Tuesday, May 3, 2011, my attention was called to some comments that were posted on Sahara Reporters. One of the comments reads, “our International Passport, the do charge our national more than the official $65 USD after you make payment online, the will charge you another $50 USD at the Mission which is Rm150 Malaysia money. My fellow Nigerians is this not corruption? This mission needs an urgent investigation from the EFCC.She always makes things very difficult to our National here, so we are asking the honorable Minister of Foreign Affairs in Nigeria Mr. Odein Ajumogobia to kindly remove this woman since she is not doing what she is here for, kindly send her to another place where she will meet people like herself. Please let the honorable Minister try and see that number of staffs in the Mission be shared equally with the 3 major ethnic in the country.Right here in the Mission , the Yoruba’s dominated 95% of the mission while only 4% is for Hausa and 1% is Igbo ,please this is not how a democratic nation does their things.” Permit me to state that I take exception from the ethnical issues raised by the commentator.
7) Another comment which was posted on the same day and on the same medium reads, “now, the so called acting Ambassador Mr. Nurudeen Babatunde Ayinla is not doing anything as the acting officer in the office, there is no single Nigerian in Malaysia that knows him he has not introduces himself to our people, how do he expect people to know him with such an attitude? Another dirty officer at the High Commission is Mrs. Gladys Modupeola Quist Adebiyi who is Minister( Head of Chancery, Economic and Trade Matters.),this officer have no single respect for any Nigerian here in Malaysia she is always given priority to Malaysians rather than our National, this is not the reason while Our Government send her here to work. And she has been as well dealing on dirty business with the High Commission here. This woman has no good character or attitude she is very wicked to both the staffs and Nigerians residing here in Malaysia and she has been in corruption at the Mission.” Again, I totally disagree with the part of this comment which alleges that Mr. Nurudeen Babatunde Ayinla is not doing anything, although there is a high possibility that he is yet to reach out to some sections of the Nigerian community in Malaysia.
My Appeals
8) May I request that a stakeholder meeting comprising credible Nigerians be summoned to navigate how the increasing involvement of Nigerians in criminal activities in Malaysia can be brought under check
9) May I also advise that the Commission detaches itself from any unlawful group or a group of questionable individuals who are leveraging on the unlawful recognition offered them by the Nigeria High Commission to further darken the image of our country.
10) May I request that staff of the High Commission who are reportedly conducting themselves in undignified manner be summoned to change their attitudes or else, signatures would be mobilized to get them recalled.
11) May I also place it before your humble person that a training programme be conducted for all staff of the Commission on professional ethics and human relations.
12) May I also request that the Commission maps out a visitation plan to different sections of the Nigerian community in Malaysia and also, stage a come together programme with Nigerians in Malaysia whereby issues of various dimensions would be discussed
13) May I request that the Commission makes effective use of e-facilities in reaching out to the Nigerian community on their challenges, developments and other relevant matters.
14) May I request that a convincing explanation be issued on Mr. Anegbeh’s alleged misappropriation of the extra RM150 paid by Nigerians whose e-passports were processed here in Malaysia, or else, an official complaint will be lodged before the EFCC.
While hoping that your respected person will expediently look into the issues herein raised, be assured of my highest regards for your person.
Yours for the concerned:
Mr. Adebiyi Jelili Abudugana.