No agreement to extradite Turks from Nigeria – Minister

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama has debunked media claims that 1,000 Turks are facing extradition from Nigeria on the request of the Turkish government. Onyeama was reported to have told journalists, weekend, in Istanbul, Turkey to wrap up President Muhammadu Buhari’s four-day visit to Ankara and the D8 meeting that Nigerian government was […]

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama has debunked media claims that 1,000 Turks are facing extradition from Nigeria on the request of the Turkish government.

Onyeama was reported to have told journalists, weekend, in Istanbul, Turkey to wrap up President Muhammadu Buhari’s four-day visit to Ankara and the D8 meeting that Nigerian government was considering the Turkish government’s request to extradite some Turks suspected to belong to the Gulen movement.

The Turkish government said the movement was responsible for the last year’s botched coup in that country. But the Gulen movement denied any involvement.

The minister was quoted as saying that: “There was the request for the extradition of some of the Turks in Nigeria who have been given asylum and recognized by the United Nations as political refugees and the Turkish government requested that we extradite some of them.

‘’There was also the request that the schools and hospitals established by Gülen Movement should be closed in Nigeria. They now labelled Fethtulah as a terrorist organization.

“These were all issues that were lingering and complicating slightly, the relationship between the two countries. So, what this visit has done, I think, is to put all these to rest and facilitate direct engagement and what I will call agreeing for a way forward between the two countries.

But the minister, in a statement by her media aide, Sarah Sanda, said there was no agreement between the two governments to extradite Turkish citizens from Nigeria.

Onyeama assured all foreign nationals, including Turks resident in the country legally, of full protection under Nigerian and International Laws.

“Every individual of whatever nationality, legally residing in Nigeria is guaranteed full protection under Nigerian and International Laws,” he said.