>
The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora, Hon. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe has called on the Lebanese community in Nigeria to stand against the injustice and violation of human rights being meted on Nigerians, especially one Temitope Olamide Ariwolo, who she said has been wrongly accused of murder in Labanon.
The lawmaker also called on the Lebanese Government to stop the maltreatment of Ariwolo by her employers.
Temitope Olamide Ariwolo, a 31-year-old Nigerian lady, was allegedly beaten by Mahmoud Zahran, the husband of her employer, Feyzeh Diab, on April 25, 2020 at their home in Choueifat, South of Beirut, in the country’s capital.
According to Ariwolo, Zahran, hit her on the mouth, causing serious bleeding. She took a video of herself, which revealed the magnitude of the injury. However, she has been prevented from being repatriated back to Nigeria and she is currently being charged for murder.
“Lebanese community in Nigeria, your support in any way possible to stop the victimization of this young woman and several others would be most appreciated. We Nigerians are really concerned about Temitope because in the recent past, two other Nigerian women have died in mysterious circumstances.”
“It is very obvious that these are trumped up charges to punish this young woman for taking on her employer and the system in Lebanon. In addition, this is also an attempt by the Lebanese Ambassador in Nigeria to pervert justice, as he has requested that the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) to release a Lebanese national on trial for human trafficking in exchange for Temitope,” she said.
Akande-Sadipe queried the rationale behind the refusal of Ariwolo’s employer, who assaulted her, to approve her repatriation and evacuation to Nigeria, stressing that the Lebanese Government must be held responsible for the violation of Ariwolo’s rights which she said was in violation of the United Nations Universal Declaration on Human Rights (UNDHR).
“Till date, the other Nigerian women prevented from boarding have since been released and are awaiting repatriation to Nigeria whilst Temitope is being held back and obviously cannot afford legal representation. On hearing the news, I could not understand like everyone else, why the family has prevented her from leaving Lebanon,” the lawmaker said.
She also advocated for the freedom of other Nigerians being held in the country, noting that “Lebanese in Nigeria have been very welcome since the arrival of the first Lebanese, Ilyas Al-Khuri in 1890. Since then, we have co-existed happily for many years with many Lebanese now also Nigerian citizens.”
Meanwhile, Akande-Sadipe has called for collaborative efforts between the legislature and the Nigeria Immigration Service.
She made the call when she led members of her commiteee on an oversight visit to the Comptroller General of Immigration, Muhammed Babandede.
“This visit by the House Committee on Diaspora is aimed at ascertaining the preparedness of the service to create a congenial environment that will allow quality collaboration among the relevant stakeholders to tackle the menace of illegal trafficking in persons and human organs. We all know that no one agency of government can single-handedly combat trafficking, knowing that it is a highly organised international crime that preys on Africans severally,” she said.
Akande-Sadipe stated that consequent upon the incessant human trafficking being experienced by Nigerians, there is an urgent need for collaboration of all relevant agencies, adding that this would reduce human trafficking and organ harvesting to its barest minimum or eradicate it.