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04.11.2008 General News

High Commissioner Apologises

04.11.2008 LISTEN
By Daily Graphic

The Nigerian High Commission in Accra has apologised to the President, the government and people of Ghana for the negative activities of some Nigerians in Ghana.

The apology followed a visit by a top ranking official of the High Commission to three Nigerian suspects who are being held by the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) for allegedly kidnapping an Israeli, Mr Dror Weinstein.

The National Security Co-ordinator, Dr Sam Amoo-Ghartey, told the Daily Graphic yesterday that after talking to the suspects for about 45 minutes last Friday, a spokesman of the High Commission confirmed to the BNI officials that the suspects were Nigerians from the Delta State of Nigeria.

He explained that following the publication in the October 31, 2008 of the Daily Graphic, linking the kidnapping of an Israeli citizen to three Nigerians, the top ranking official of the High Commission visited the suspects in the custody of the BNI.

He said the purpose of the visit was to ascertain whether they were indeed Nigerians.

Prior to the visit, another official was reported on an Accra radio station denying that the suspects were Nigerians.

The officer complained about attempts to tarnish the image of Nigerians.

Dr Amoo-Ghartey said the High Commission official expressed his disappointment at the attempts of some bad Nigerians to derail Ghana's efforts to put the country on the world map.

He said the official expressed the hope that the suspects would have the benefit of due process of the law.

The Daily Graphic in its October 31, 2008 edition reported that personnel of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), on Wednesday night rescued the Israeli businessman who had been held captive by gunmen in Accra since October 19 2008.

Three of his captors — Alex Sampson Ojanomare alias Leonard, Clifford Ogheonovo Osiobe and Blessing Osiobe Muliaga, the younger brother of Clifford — who are all Nigerians, are currently in custody.

Story by Albert K. Salia

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