Published Since February 21, 1998         ... Pioneering Responsible Journalism

    Home News  Opinions  Saturday Xtra  Special Sections  Weekly Sports  Advert Rates  About Us  Contact Us

News

National News
Foreign Notes
Weekly Sports
Politics

Saturday Xtra

Arts & Entertainment
The Write Stuff
Landmark
Life
Verbatim
Islam Calling

Special Sections

Weekend Magazine
Weekend Business
Weekend Essay
Weekend Style
Weekend Motoring
Weekly Kiddies
People's Parliament
Personality of The Week
The Saturday Interview
The Entrepreneur
Shelter & Environment
Family, Health & ...

Opinions

Commentary
Issues
Perspective
 
 
 
 
 

NATIONAL NEWS

Updated: Saturday, January 09, 2010

     

Bomb incident is not sufficient to criminalise Nigerians
– Lawyer

|

Alleged attempt by a 23-year-old Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab,  to blow up an American airline on Dec. 25, 2009 is not sufficient justification for the U.S to put Nigerians on its watch list.

Mr Dare Esan, Vice Chairman of Ikeja Branch of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), made the assertion in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos yesterday.

He said that it was wrong for the U.S to criminalise all Nigerians because of the offence of “one misplaced individual”.

The U.S. government on Monday placed Nigeria on the list of nations involved in terrorist activities because of the botched attempt by a Nigerian, Farouk Abdulmutallab, to bomb a Delta Airline plane.

Esan, however, warned that Nigeria lacked the strength to call the bluff of the U.S and advised that rather the country should negotiate its de-listing.

According to him, Nigeria successfully called the bluff of the West under the Murtala/Obasanjo and Buhar/Idiagbon administrations but “our current overdependence on them makes this difficult now”.

“A country that desires respect does not overly depend on others. Nigeria is an appendage of the West, we import everything from them,” Esan said.

He said that a dependent country could not be taken seriously by the international community and advised Nigerian leaders to show greater commitment to the development of the country.

The lawyer said that the current treatment being meted to Nigeria by the U.S might not be unconnected to actions of some former Nigerian leaders which had eroded U.S respect for Nigeria.  

FG designs 93 programmes for public sector capacity-building
Zamfara govt urges 1,730 Imams to pray for Yar’Adua
 
Yobe govt, Korean experts develop hybrid rice
NACCIMA urges FG to invest in solid minerals
Katsina suspends 17 principals
Uduaghan worries over govt officials
at function
Flu: FG pays farmers N630m for culled birds

Dialogue, checks, ingredients of democracy – Speaker

Covert Alhudahuda to unity school
— KDSG urged

 
“Residents’ negligence leads to fire outbreak’’

©2005 New Nigerian Newspapers Limited.