Nigerian govt reacts to planned deportation of 1000 Turks


Date posted: October 24, 2017

Wale Odunsi

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama has refuted reports that 1,000 Turks will be extradited from Nigeria on the request of the Turkish government.

Onyeama was said to have told journalists, weekend, in Istanbul, Turkey that Nigerian government was considering deporting the Turkish nationals suspected to belong to the Gulen movement.

The Turkish government said the movement was responsible for the last year’s botched coup in that country, an accusation the Gulen movement denied.


Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama has refuted reports that 1,000 Turks will be extradited from Nigeria on the request of the Turkish government. Onyeama assured all foreign nationals, including Turks resident in the country legally, of full protection under Nigerian and International Laws.


The minister was quoted as saying: “There was the request for the extradition of some of the Turks in Nigeria who have been given asylum and recognized by the United Nations as political refugees and the Turkish government requested that we extradite some of them.

“There was also the request that the schools and hospitals established by Gülen Movement should be closed in Nigeria. They now labelled Fethtulah as a terrorist organization”.

Reacting via a statement by his media aide, Sarah Sanda, the minister insisted there was no agreement between the two governments to extradite certain Turks.

Onyeama assured all foreign nationals, including Turks resident in the country legally, of full protection under Nigerian and International Laws.

“Every individual of whatever nationality, legally residing in Nigeria is guaranteed full protection under Nigerian and International Laws,” he said.

 

Source: Daily Post , October 24, 2017


Related News

Turkish Schools will Build Bridges between Nigeria and the World

Nigerian Minister of Federal Education Prof. Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufai also spoke at the inauguration of the conference organized with the participation of several scholars from Africa and other countries and the sponsorship of 6 Nigerian Universities. Kerim Balcı, Abuja – November 19, 2011 Turkish ambassador to Nigeria Rıfat Köksal has said that seventeen Turkish Schools, […]

Turkish foundation drills 1,000 boreholes for Nigerian communities

Mr Cemal Yigit, President, Association of Turkish People in Nigeria (ATPEN) said the Nigerian Turkish International College (NTIC) Foundation, an NGO has drilled over 1, 000 boreholes for communities across Nigeria. He said that communities in Yobe and Ogun states were among the beneficiaries of the boreholes.

Five global challenges: how might Hizmet respond?

Hizmet, the social movement inspired by the neo-Sufi thinker Fetullah Gülen, is currently being dismembered by the autocratic president of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He accuses Gülen of ordering a coup attempt on 15th July 2016, saying it was was led by Hizmet members in the army.

Erdoğan gov’t supports Iranian contest while obstructing Turkish Olympiad

While Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been attempting to obstruct the Turkish Language and Culture Olympiad, his government has been supporting a similar competition to be held in Tehran in August 2014.

Families Of Afghan-Turk School Students Hold Protest In Kabul [against Turkish Gov’t]

Families of Afghan-Turk Schools students on Sunday held a protest meeting in Kabul and called on the Afghan government to rescind its decision to hand over the Afghan-Turk schools to the Turkish government.

Turks threatened over alleged links to the Gülen movement find a safe haven in Greece

When thousands of Turkish citizens lost their jobs or were jailed over suspected links to the Islamist Gülen movement, they chose self-exile to escape persecution.

Latest News

Fethullah Gulen – man of education, peace and dialogue – passes away

Fethullah Gülen’s Condolence Message for South African Human Rights Defender Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Hizmet Movement Declares Core Values with Unified Voice

Ankara systematically tortures supporters of Gülen movement, Kurds, Turkey Tribunal rapporteurs say

Erdogan possessed by Pharaoh, Herod, Hitler spirits?

Devious Use of International Organizations to Persecute Dissidents Abroad: The Erdogan Case

A “Controlled Coup”: Erdogan’s Contribution to the Autocrats’ Playbook

Why is Turkey’s Erdogan persecuting the Gulen movement?

Purge-victim man sent back to prison over Gulen links despite stage 4 cancer diagnosis

In Case You Missed It

Gulen Institute Youth Platfrom announces essay contest: ‘Hospitality in the Global Village’

Fethullah Gulen Cited among Watkins’ 2019 the Most Spiritually Influential 100 Living People

Terrorist organization, you say

Hizmet movement has no political ambitions

Success stories of Kenya’s Light Academies’ beaming alumni

Land of Private high school declared green space

The Gülen community and the AKP

Copyright 2025 Insightful Neighbor