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UK deports dozens of Nigerians, Ghanaians in single flight

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The British government has deported 44 Nigerians and Ghanaians to their home countries in a single flight, The Guardian reported.

 

According to the report, the Nigerian and Ghanaian citizens were flown to their countries on Friday, 18 October.

 

Deportation flights to Nigeria and Ghana are relatively rare, the report said. Citing data obtained under the freedom of information rules, the newspaper reported that there have been only four such deportation flights since 2020. Each of such flights involved six, seven, 16 and 21 deportees respectively, until Friday’s flight, which had more than double the highest that had been removed on a single flight.

 

The Home Office confirmed that there is a “major surge” in immigration enforcement and returns activities.
“We have already begun delivering a major surge in immigration enforcement and returns activity to remove people with no right to be in the UK and ensure the rules are respected and enforced, with over 3,600 returned in the first two months of the new government,” The Guardian quoted a spokesperson for the Home Office as saying.

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The Chagos Islands
The deportation came at a time when the UK immigration policy on asylum seekers is witnessing drastic changes.

After five decades of tussle, the British government recently struck a deal to eventually hand over the Chagos Islands, an archipelago that sits in the Indian Ocean, to the southeast African island country of Mauritius.


The agreement is still pending the finalisation of a treaty, but both parties have committed to completing it as swiftly as possible.

 

The deal saw the two governments jointly declaring the full sovereignty of the Chagos, a remote group of more than 60 islands, adding it would belong to Mauritius in exchange for guarantees that a United States military base could continue operating there for the many years to come.

 

A critical part of this historic agreement is that any asylum seekers who arrive in Diego Garcia before a treaty between the UK and Mauritius to hand back the Chagos Islands is finalised will be sent to Saint Helena, a British territory in the Atlantic Ocean said to be one of the most remote places on Earth.

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The Chagos Islands deal is expected to be signed next year. This explains the latest round of deportation of Nigerians and Ghanaian citizens.

Since 2021, the amount of asylum seekers arriving in Diego Garcia, a British territory in the Indian Ocean, are in the hundreds, which is minimally comparable to the tens of thousands crossing the Channel in small boats from northern France to the UK in recent years.

 

‘We are shocked’
The Guardian spoke with four affected Nigerians while they were held at Brook House immigration removal centre near Gatwick before their deportation.

 

The deportees included one who told the newspaper of how he became traumatised after seeing a cellmate try to kill himself.

 

One expressed frustrations about the Home Office refusing his asylum claims after 15 years of residing in the UK without a criminal record. Another spoke of how his claim was denied despite being a victim of trafficking and showing the Home Office officials his childhood torture scars. Another man also recounted his futile efforts to get a solicitor to challenge his removal directions.

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The Guardian quoted Fizza Qureshi, the chief executive of Migrants’ Rights Network, expressing shock at the news of the deportation of the Nigerians and Ghanians, saying that the asylum seekers have not committed any crime to warrant such a treatment.

 

Mr Qureshi, who was in contact with some of the people on the Nigeria/Ghana deportation flight before they left the country, said, “We are extremely shocked at the cruelty of these deportations, especially with the speed, secrecy and the lack of access to legal support.

“In the words of one detainee we spoke to before he was put on the flight: ‘The Home Office is playing politics with people’s lives. We have not done anything wrong other than cry for help’.”

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Tinubu back in Abuja after attending Arab-Islamic summit in Saudi Arabia

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President Bola Tinubu has returned to Nigeria after his trip to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia.

On Saturday, Tinubu left Abuja, the country’s capital city, for Saudi Arabia to attend the Joint Arab-Islamic summit.

The summit was held at the invitation of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Speaking at the summit, convened to address the current situation in the Middle East, Tinubu expressed deep concerns over the humanitarian conditions in Gaza.

Bayo Onanuga, the president’s special adviser on information and strategy, said in a statement on Monday that Tinubu called for an immediate end to the “prolonged Israeli aggression” in Gaza.

The president said, “the conflict in Palestine has persisted for far too long, inflicting immeasurable suffering”.

Tinubu, who called for a ceasefire in Gaza, said Nigeria is in support of a two-state solution—where both Israelis and Palestinians can coexist in security and dignity.

“The conflict in Palestine has persisted for far too long, inflicting immeasurable suffering on countless lives,” the president said.

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“As representatives of nations that value justice, dignity, and the sanctity of human life, we have a moral obligation to collectively bring about an immediate end to this conflict.”

He added that conflicting parties must uphold proportionality principles and protect civilians’ fundamental rights, aligning with international law and diplomacy standards.

The Nigerian president lauded King Salman Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for convening the summit.

He added that it was a crucial opportunity for Nigeria to renew diplomatic efforts and advance Middle Eastern peace and stability.

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Okpebholo nominates  Oshiomhole’s son as commissioner

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Monday Okpebholo, governor of Edo, has nominated Cyril Oshiomhole, a medical doctor, as the commissioner of health.

Cyril is the son of Adams Oshiomhole, the former governor of Edo, now a serving senator.

The commissioner nominee earned his bachelor’s degree in medicine and surgery (MBBS) at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

He has a master’s degree in public health and majors in environmental health, toxicology, and disaster management.

Fred Itua, Okpebholo’s spokesperson, said in a statement on Tuesday that the governor also nominated Samson Osagie, a former member of the national assembly, as the attorney-general and commissioner for justice.

“On the new state attorney-general, Dr. Samson Osagie is a private legal practitioner having been called to the Nigerian Bar on March 22nd, 1995,” the statement reads.

He is also the current vice president of the African Bar Association (West African Region),” the statement reads.

“He was a two-term member of the Edo state house of assembly and also the house of representatives, where he rose to the position of the minority whip.

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Itua said the Osagie and Oshiomhole’s names would be forwarded to the Edo state house of assembly for confirmation.

He added that Okpebholo also announced the appointment of Musa Ikhilor as the secretary to the state government (SGG).

“Barrister Ikhilor has over 11 years of experience in legislative drafting, parliamentary administration, lawmaking procedure and processes, constitutional drafting and amendment, and general legislative governance issues working in various capacities at the national assembly,” Itua said.

“Barr. Ikhilor is active in business, corporate legal practice, and social works, where he serves as the managing partner of Springfield Legal Consult and as the executive director and board of trustees member of the Amana Legacy Foundation.”

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Saudi crown prince ‘commends’ Tinubu over economic reforms

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Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince and prime minister of Saudi Arabia, has commended President Bola Tinubu over his economic reforms.

Salman gave the commendation at the sidelines of the Joint Arab-Islamic Summit in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia.

 

A statement on Tuesday by Bayo Onanuga, the president’s special adviser on information and strategy, said Tinubu and Salman explored areas for cooperation, particularly oil and gas, agriculture, infrastructure and the constitution of the Saudi-Nigeria business council.

 

Onanuga said Nigeria is seeking an agreement with the Saudi government over a proposed $5 billion bilateral trade facility between the two countries.

 

“The Saudi Agricultural and Livestock Investment Company (SALIC) invested $1.24 billion in 2022 to acquire a 35.43% stake in Olam Agri, one of Nigeria’s leading agricultural firms,” the statement reads.

 

“Talks are being held so that SALIC can have more stake in the company. The Saudis hoped the investment would make Olam one of the biggest agro-allied businesses in the world.

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“The Crown Prince commended President Tinubu’s economic reforms, noting similarities to his steps to strengthen Saudi Arabia’s stability and development when he became Prime Minister.

 

”He also assured Nigeria of his support and promised to motivate his team to realise the various areas of partnerships discussed at the meeting.”

 

He said the summit has renewed the commitment of Nigeria and other member states on the ministerial committee assigned to engage with global leaders in seeking an end to the ongoing war in Gaza and Lebanon.

 

“The Joint Arab-Islamic Ministerial Committee, led by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, was formed by a resolution at the First Joint Arab-Islamic Summit in Riyadh on November 11, 2023,” Onanuga said.

 

“The group includes the foreign ministers of Nigeria, Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, Indonesia, Palestine, and Jordan.

 

“In its final resolution, the summit urged the Ministerial Committee to ‘intensify its efforts and expand them to include working on ending the aggression on Lebanon’.

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“The committee will submit periodic reports, which the secretariats of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the League of Arab States will circulate to member states.

 

“The Committee has also been tasked with further engaging actors across the Global South in the efforts to strengthen international support towards ending the war and Israeli occupation.

 

”The resolution stressed the importance of protecting sea lanes by rules of international law and welcomed the signing of the tripartite mechanism by the League of Arab States, OIC, and the African Union to support the Palestinian cause.”

 

He said the leaders condemned Israeli military actions in northern Gaza, describing them as “crimes of genocide”.

 

“They also criticised ongoing efforts to solidify Israel’s presence in occupied East Jerusalem, reaffirming it as the eternal capital of Palestine and calling for the unification of the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem under a sovereign Palestinian state,” he said.

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Abdullah Abdulaziz, minister of national guard; Khalid Abdulaziz, minister of defence; and senior Saudi officials ttended the meeting.

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