More than 31 years after his government “sponsored” the failed abduction and illegal deportation of the late minister of transport, Alhaji Umaru Dikko, via a cargo crate, the United Kingdom on Thursday said it had no plan to arrest the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the February 14 election, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, should he decide to visit the UK to drum up support for his campaign.
The clarification by the UK government is coming on the heels of reports by some online news portal that the APC standard bearer may be arrested, following reports that his campaign team had received an “uncomplimentary” reception from some institutions, government and nongovernment organisations ahead of his party’s proposed visit to the UK.
Buhari’s administration in 1984 was cited as the mastermind of Dikko’s abduction, a development which prompted some rights groups to mull the idea of instituting process that could lead to the arrest of the former head of state to answer charges on the botched extra-judicial deportation.
Speaking with Saturday Telegraph on the phone on the issue, the press secretary of the British High Commission in Nigeria, Mr. Edward Dunn, said some of the allegations raised in the reports were “unfounded and without foundation.” According to him, “we have seen some of these online reports and we are unaware of the allegations. We have seen the reports before. As far as the United Kingdom government is concerned, they are without foundation.” Asked further if the clarification was a tacit admission that Buhari was free to visit the UK, Dunn said: “Any other issue is purely an immigration affair.”
Saturday Telegraph gathered that the APC had planned a few global events for Buhari to rally support for its presidential candidate who is believed to be relatively unpopular among the international community. Indication that the trip had hit the rock emerged when the APC abruptly put the publicised trip on hold. It was alleged that the consultant working for the campaign failed to get a positive reception from the Chatam House, the House of Commons, as well as top advocacy groups which had been approached. Investigation revealed that the rejection is not unconnected with the poor human rights record of Buhari during his reign as head of state.
The notion that his comment in 2011 had stoked post-election violence did not help his case, it was understood. However, it was gathered that some top APC bigwigs are puling all strings to seek alternative platform for the ex-military dictator before the February 14 presidential election. Prior to the clarifications by Dunn, it was claimed that Buhari could be charged under the UK Common Law for his role in the attempted abduction of Dikko foiled by the British police and immigration. That incident sparked a major diplomatic row between Nigeria and the UK. Some lawyers, who also commented on the issue argued that the botched kidnap also contravened the British Aviation Security Act of 1982. It would be recalled that the plane designated to transport Dikko was waiting in the tarmac for its “consignment”’ before eagle-eyed UK customs officials intervened.
The Dikko kidnap affair was a joint Nigerian-Israeli operation using Mossad agents across Europe. In June 1984, Dikko was kidnapped in front of his home while he was out for a walk and taken away in a van driven by a security agent called Yusufu. He was then drugged into unconsciousness by one Dr. Levi-Arie Shapiro, an Israeli doctor, allegedly recruited by Israeli’s Mossad. Dikko and Shapiro were subsequently placed in one crate. However, proper documentation that would have ensured that the cargo could not be inspected was not provided.
The crates were not labelled as diplomatic bags, as required by Article 27(4) of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. As a result, customs officials were able to open the crates without violating the convention and foil the kidnapping. The British government immediately expelled two members of the Nigerian High Commission in London, including the High Commissioner. Diplomatic relations with Nigeria were broken off for two years.
Source: New Telegraph
No comments:
Post a Comment