Speaking in an exclusive chat with The Cable News through a live chat while in transit, a Nigerian student who was
deported by the Turkish government, on Monday night, narrated his
experience, saying he was treated like a terrorist, detained and
interrogated before he was finally sent on a plane to Nigeria.
The Electrical Engineering undergraduate of the University of
Fatih, said Turkish officials found nothing incriminating on him but
denied him entry all the same. “Well, right now, I’m inside the
flight commencing my first leg of my return journey back to Abuja. After
being marshalled in like Shekau that they just caught,” he said.
HOW IT STARTED
“So, I came back, with an open mind considering since I was back in
the country, I’ve been hearing reports about how returning students
were being treated. But I felt, okay here I am, as innocent as ever,
supposed to even have graduated with my set this year but for minor visa
complications in that past that made me miss a semester.
“I handed my travel documents to the officer at the passport
control desk. I gave him the documents, he looked that them, then asked
me for my father’s name. I gave him. I didn’t think anything about it,
then I saw him hysterically punching numbers in a cell phone and giving
orders to people; that was when I starting getting worried.
“I still kept quiet all these while, though. Still managing to
smile, until suddenly two armed policemen came next to me and demanded I
follow them. I complied, still smiling even though they all were giving
me hostile looks and had no kind emotions either of their faces.
Anyways, they ushered me to a waiting area just close to the passport
control area. Here, they made me wait for about 10 minutes; I could see
them photocopying my passport, talking to one another in hurried
sentences and what not. It all seemed frantic.
“There were also a couple other people there as well, most of them
crying. I remember a young girl, probably a student as well, pouring her
heart out. And a couple as well, both husband and wife really sobbing. I
assumed they were just informed of their deportation. And from them on,
I knew I probably might follow suit.”
TREATED LIKE A CRIMINAL
“Then two men, came up to me. Plain clothes this time. Each holding a pistol. Drawn though.
“Anyways, they took me to the little room still in the same waiting
area. In front of the door was written, ‘Police’. I reckoned I was
going to get interrogated. I laughed in my mind, see me, who just about
30 minutes ago I was just another innocent student returning to school,
now I’m being treated like a criminal.
“They then asked me what I was coming to Turkey to do, I said
school, like duh, it says that in my residence permit. Anyways, they
then asked me my university. I told them the name of the university I’ve
already been transferred to. Then they rudely interrupted and asked if I
was in that university because my university was part of those closed. I
answered truthfully, because you know, they already probably know all
of this, so I better not lie.
“Then they asked if I knew an organisation called Cemmat owned by
my university and that it’s a terrorist organisation; that this was why
it was closed. I answered that I know of the owners
“And then they said, not even asking. They called me a Cemmat
member, and that I’m probably part of their terrorist team. I just
smiled. And I calmly denied all they just accused me off.
“They didn’t talk again. They now proceeded to searching my bag.
That’s when I now spoke up saying that how can I even be a part of the
so-called terrorists. That how? That for starters, I’m a believing
Christian and have been my whole life. That all their accusations are
just absurd.
“They now laughed and said that who told me that Christians aren’t
included in his terrorist ring and that I could be lying for all they
cared. That how can they know I’m saying the truth. I said they can call
any random person from my contact list and ask, and that they could
even ask my girlfriend who was in the arrival hall waiting for me.
“They brushed aside what I said, and started checking my bags,
inside the round my two Bibles and my big journal on biblical
explanations. I then asked if that did not prove that I was who I said I
was?”
BACK TO DUBAI
Another police officer in mufti now came in and asked me to follow
him. He then took me to a place, and did a lot of photocopying of my
documents.
“Afterwards, he said I should follow him, he’s probably done then. I
followed and that’s when I realised we’re heading to the transfer area.
I now asked: Am I getting deported? He just replied that they are
sending me back to Dubai.”
“Before I could say anything, I was handed to two hefty armed plain clothes.
”That’s when I know asked again, Dubai, that I was just transiting
through Dubai. That is they want to deport me they should have the
decency to take me back to my country
”Anyways, these two hefty men now took my back to the aircraft I
had just disembarked not too long ago. And they now handed me over to
the lead flight attendant and they put my documents in a folder and said
they had confiscated my documents that, when we get to Dubai, they will
hand me over to ground staff who will then decide what to do with me.
”The flight attendant while escorting me to my prison seat, now
told me that in Dubai, they try and make sure I get into a flight going
to Abuja.
”I just thanked him and took my prison seat. And that’s where I am
still seated as I talk to you now. And we are currently about 1 hour
away from Dubai. That’s my story.”
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