Britons scamper as Nigerian boards train
Jackson Udom, London - 03.01.2010
A Nigerian, who introduced himself
to Sunday Tribune as Mallam Sanni
Abdul Rahman may have
unknowingly caused a stir at the
Kings Cross train station in UK,
when all intending passengers
largely made up of whites,
scampered for safety the moment
he entered the train.
This incident occurred barely a
week af-ter an attempt was made
by a 23-year-old Nigerian, Umar
Farouk Mutallab, to blow up an
America bound Delta airline.
Abdul Rahman, was dressed in a
muslim attire and was therefore
mistaken for a terrorist or a muslim
fundamentalist.The people thought
it would be suicidal to board the
same train with Abdul Rahman.
The incident aptly captured the
experience which innocent Nigerian
residents in the UK are now going
through as a result of the
December 25 incident.
A week after the Mutallab attempt,
the dust raised is yet to settle,
even as Nigerian residents in the
UK now live in apprehension over
the effect which the action of the
23-year-old Nigerian would have
on their continued stay in the UK.
Specifically, Nigerians believed to
be living in the UK illegally, have
now gone into hiding for fear of
being swooped on by the
Metropolitan Police, who are said to
be keeping 24 hours surveillance
over areas largely populated by
Nigerians, with particular attention
on Nigerians with any muslim
name.
When Sunday Tribune visited
Peckham, Hackneywick, East
London, Stevelage and Watford, all
outside London and other suburbs
in the UK, which are known to be
highly populated by blacks, an air
of apprehension and fear of the
unknown enveloped the area, with
residents afraid of going out to
engage in their normal daily
routine.
It was also gathered that Nigerian
students who are genuinely
studying in the UK are now living in
fear because of the belief that the
application for the renewal of their
visas to enable them continue with
their studies would be rejected.
At the Heathrow and Gatwick
airports, intending Nigerian
travellers were made to go through
serious and inhuman screening
before being allowed to board any
plane to any destination.
One of the passengers (names
withheld), was ordered to remove
his belt at the screening point and
to the amusement of other
Nigerians and travellers on the
queue, his trousers fell off and he
was almost unclothed, only for the
security operatives to say “we are
sorry.”
Another female Igbo traveller, who
was visiting Nigeria for Christmas
was ferried into the rest room by a
female security operative at the
airport; she returned complaining
that she had been unduly insulted
by the security officer.
Speaking with Sunday Tribune on
her travail, the fair-looking Nigerian
lady from Abia State who pleaded
anonymity said, “I wonder why the
uncivilised action of one person
should be visited on all Nigerians,
you needed to see the kind of
insult I was subjected to in the
toilet, my privacy was infringed
upon.
“Nigerian authorities should at this
point in time rise up in defence of
Nigerians who are genuinely and
legally living outside the shores of
the country, to put a stop to this
insult. If something is not urgently
done, Nigerians should be prepared
for terrible times.
“No Nigerian is in support of what
Mutallab wanted to do, and that is
why we are saying that the act of
an individual should not be used as
a parameter for dealing with others
who are legally living and doing
businesses outside the country. ”
Speaking with Sunday Tribune at
Kings Cross Train Station in London,
Alhaja Kehinde Okanlawon said
“ Nigerians are never known to be
terrorists, that word is novel to
Nigeria and Nigerians. Despite the
harsh economic situation in Nigeria,
nobody wants to die. The action of
Mutallab is already taking its toll on
Nigerians here, specifically those
with islamic names, we are now
being branded as terrorists.
“ Even our neighbours and co-
workers are now treating us
unfairly. It ’s not funny at all. We
are not free to move around,
because wherever we go and
whatever we do since last
Christmas is now being monitored.
“We are no longer trusted and
nobody knows what the authorities
in the UK are planning to do under
this unbearable situation. “At the
train’s stations and airports, any
black they see is believed to be a
Nigerian, and such must be
avoided, it is as bad as that. ”
In the words of Muideen Akinola
Alao, a student in the UK, “this is
the end of the road for Nigeria
students here. Even back home, it
would now be very difficult for
intending students to be granted
admissions, not to talk of visas. We
are no longer trusted, they have
raised the security bars on any
Nigerian resident and those
planning to travel.
In the past, Nigerians were
screened at the airports for illegal
food importation, and now
terrorism has been added. “We
appreciate the proactive step so far
taken by the Nigerian government,
but they should go beyond that by
ensuring that innocent and law-
abiding Nigerians are not molested
nor subjected to inhuman
treatment in their countries of
residence. ”
Investigation by Sunday Tribune
revealed that some Nigerian
muslims living in the UK with their
male children have ordered them
to always be clean shaven in order
not to draw an undue attention of
security operatives to themselves.
According to Alhaji Usman Sodonki,
“ I have been living outside the
shores of Nigeria for over twenty
years, I ’m an ardent muslim, Islam
as a religion abhors violence, and
that is why we vehemently
condemn the act of Mutallab, it is
un-islamic. Because of how the
whites treat any act of terrorism, I
have ordered my children to keep
as from now on, very clean shave
so that they will not be viewed as
terrorists. Bin Laden, who is the
figure behind terrorism has a long
and unkempt beard as his
trademark, so I wouldn ’t want my
children to be mistaken as
members of the Al Qaeda.”
It is not only Alhaji Sodonki that
had ordered his wards to keep a
clean shave, others who did not
want their names in print, confided
in Sunday Tribune that the most
decent thing to do at the moment
is to keep a clean shave, because a
stitch in time saves nine.
A Nigerian, who introduced himself
to Sunday Tribune as Mallam Sanni
Abdul Rahman may have
unknowingly caused a stir at the
Kings Cross train station in UK,
when all intending passengers
largely made up of whites,
scampered for safety the moment
he entered the train.
This incident occurred barely a
week af-ter an attempt was made
by a 23-year-old Nigerian, Umar
Farouk Mutallab, to blow up an
America bound Delta airline.
Abdul Rahman, was dressed in a
muslim attire and was therefore
mistaken for a terrorist or a muslim
fundamentalist.The people thought
it would be suicidal to board the
same train with Abdul Rahman.
The incident aptly captured the
experience which innocent Nigerian
residents in the UK are now going
through as a result of the
December 25 incident.
A week after the Mutallab attempt,
the dust raised is yet to settle,
even as Nigerian residents in the
UK now live in apprehension over
the effect which the action of the
23-year-old Nigerian would have
on their continued stay in the UK.
Specifically, Nigerians believed to
be living in the UK illegally, have
now gone into hiding for fear of
being swooped on by the
Metropolitan Police, who are said to
be keeping 24 hours surveillance
over areas largely populated by
Nigerians, with particular attention
on Nigerians with any muslim
name.
When Sunday Tribune visited
Peckham, Hackneywick, East
London, Stevelage and Watford, all
outside London and other suburbs
in the UK, which are known to be
highly populated by blacks, an air
of apprehension and fear of the
unknown enveloped the area, with
residents afraid of going out to
engage in their normal daily
routine.
It was also gathered that Nigerian
students who are genuinely
studying in the UK are now living in
fear because of the belief that the
application for the renewal of their
visas to enable them continue with
their studies would be rejected.
At the Heathrow and Gatwick
airports, intending Nigerian
travellers were made to go through
serious and inhuman screening
before being allowed to board any
plane to any destination.
One of the passengers (names
withheld), was ordered to remove
his belt at the screening point and
to the amusement of other
Nigerians and travellers on the
queue, his trousers fell off and he
was almost unclothed, only for the
security operatives to say “we are
sorry.”
Another female Igbo traveller, who
was visiting Nigeria for Christmas
was ferried into the rest room by a
female security operative at the
airport; she returned complaining
that she had been unduly insulted
by the security officer.
Speaking with Sunday Tribune on
her travail, the fair-looking Nigerian
lady from Abia State who pleaded
anonymity said, “I wonder why the
uncivilised action of one person
should be visited on all Nigerians,
you needed to see the kind of
insult I was subjected to in the
toilet, my privacy was infringed
upon.
“Nigerian authorities should at this
point in time rise up in defence of
Nigerians who are genuinely and
legally living outside the shores of
the country, to put a stop to this
insult. If something is not urgently
done, Nigerians should be prepared
for terrible times.
“No Nigerian is in support of what
Mutallab wanted to do, and that is
why we are saying that the act of
an individual should not be used as
a parameter for dealing with others
who are legally living and doing
businesses outside the country. ”
Speaking with Sunday Tribune at
Kings Cross Train Station in London,
Alhaja Kehinde Okanlawon said
“ Nigerians are never known to be
terrorists, that word is novel to
Nigeria and Nigerians. Despite the
harsh economic situation in Nigeria,
nobody wants to die. The action of
Mutallab is already taking its toll on
Nigerians here, specifically those
with islamic names, we are now
being branded as terrorists.
“ Even our neighbours and co-
workers are now treating us
unfairly. It ’s not funny at all. We
are not free to move around,
because wherever we go and
whatever we do since last
Christmas is now being monitored.
“We are no longer trusted and
nobody knows what the authorities
in the UK are planning to do under
this unbearable situation. “At the
train’s stations and airports, any
black they see is believed to be a
Nigerian, and such must be
avoided, it is as bad as that. ”
In the words of Muideen Akinola
Alao, a student in the UK, “this is
the end of the road for Nigeria
students here. Even back home, it
would now be very difficult for
intending students to be granted
admissions, not to talk of visas. We
are no longer trusted, they have
raised the security bars on any
Nigerian resident and those
planning to travel.
In the past, Nigerians were
screened at the airports for illegal
food importation, and now
terrorism has been added. “We
appreciate the proactive step so far
taken by the Nigerian government,
but they should go beyond that by
ensuring that innocent and law-
abiding Nigerians are not molested
nor subjected to inhuman
treatment in their countries of
residence. ”
Investigation by Sunday Tribune
revealed that some Nigerian
muslims living in the UK with their
male children have ordered them
to always be clean shaven in order
not to draw an undue attention of
security operatives to themselves.
According to Alhaji Usman Sodonki,
“ I have been living outside the
shores of Nigeria for over twenty
years, I ’m an ardent muslim, Islam
as a religion abhors violence, and
that is why we vehemently
condemn the act of Mutallab, it is
un-islamic. Because of how the
whites treat any act of terrorism, I
have ordered my children to keep
as from now on, very clean shave
so that they will not be viewed as
terrorists. Bin Laden, who is the
figure behind terrorism has a long
and unkempt beard as his
trademark, so I wouldn ’t want my
children to be mistaken as
members of the Al Qaeda.”
It is not only Alhaji Sodonki that
had ordered his wards to keep a
clean shave, others who did not
want their names in print, confided
in Sunday Tribune that the most
decent thing to do at the moment
is to keep a clean shave, because a
stitch in time saves nine.
posted by Teewizzy at
12:34 AM
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