I have been receiving what seems like an endless stream of responses to my seriesof articles on Nigerian asylum seekers in Italy who co...
I
have been receiving what seems like an endless stream of responses to my seriesof articles on Nigerian asylum seekers in Italy who cook up all manner ofwildly comical lies against their homeland and compatriots in order to win the
sympathy of Italian immigration authorities. Given the number of visits I’ve
been getting on my website from Italy and the number of times my articles have
been quoted in the Italian media, it’s obvious that my interventions have had some
appreciable traction in Italian national conversation about this issue. That
alone makes me feel that my efforts have been worth the trouble.
I am also glad that President Goodluck
Jonathan’s spokesman, Reuben Abati, has spoken to the Italian media and
basically confirmed all that I’ve been writing here for the past couple of weeks.
Of course, I can’t reverse Kate Omoregbe’s asylum, nor do I want to do that; I
want people to live wherever they find comfort and inner peace. I only resent
people telling blatant, malicious lies against their country and other people’s
culture just because of their narcissistic calculations.
Read
below a sample of the thoughtful responses I've received from readers.
We Italian Muslims and Muslims in Italy are
disgusted by this umpteenth attempt to portray Islam negatively by the Italian
media: every occasion is good for them to jump on Muslims and accuse them of
whatever is the new "news".
I really wish that the Islamic and national
organisations in Nigeria could make pressure as far as in their capacity to
shed light over the ocean of lies under which we're daily submerged.
Jazakum
Allah khayran.
Umar Andrea Lazzaro, Italy
I am from Kano state and I live in Italy. I enjoyed
your series on the attitude of Nigerians in Italy. Permit me to stay that I am
personally not surprised at all by these developments. I discovered some few
issues with the whole saga, however. Regarding what you said at the conclusive
aspect of today’s article, these people, in my opinion, are not doing these
unfathomable acts because they are even passionate about Catholicism. In fact,
I have spoken to many Italians who feel their religion is life--party, girlfriends,
and wine. Their everyday life shows no iota of religion.
Additionally, the obvious fact that most of these
faceless Nigerians come from a particular region of our country calls for an
investigation into the whole matter in a deeper sense. It may be a warning
signal to our leaders back home of an uneven distribution of social as well as
economic rot, albeit among the "poor". It also baffles me how an
average Italian easily falls prey to such flawed and poorly conceived tricks.
In summary, we still may be far from having a true understanding why this human
aberration continues to persist in the 21st century. It’s important to
emphasize that most of the Italians I have met had never had any contact
whatsoever with people from northern Nigeria.
Dr. Shamsuddeen Sani,
Novartis Vaccines Academy/Universita
degli Studi di Siena,
Il Refugio, Via del Refugio,
Siena-53100,
Italy.
I read with interest the stories of some criminals
from Nigeria that exploit either the sincere innocence or the naïve nature of
Italian lawmakers or both. So-called "human rights" activists like
Franco Corbelli who lead such crusades have absolutely little or no idea of the
"local customs" and traditions
of Nigerians, neither have they even
traveled to verify the authenticity of such claims. Besides, these Italians
brush aside every available information that informs them of contrary views.
But my curiosity is directed at WHAT benefits people like Mr. Corbelli get from
championing such rib-cracking lies? Is he in collaboration with those that claim
they are persecuted to gain some financial rewards? Does he render these
services to pays his bills? Is that why she comes across as so gullible, stupid,
and illogical?
Can't the Italian Embassy in Nigeria be secretly
contacted to verify the tissues of lies those bad eggs churn to them
ridiculously? Why can't you and I start making efforts to write the Italian
Embassy in Abuja, Nigeria, to save the Italian Great Parliament from the
embarrassment of those very despicable Nigerians?
Mr. Corbelli must travel down to Nigeria so he can
be well informed. If he refuses to come, a very popular corps of the Italian
press and members of Parliament should be made to come and be well educated.
They need to discover the other side of this so-called "savage and Dark
Continent".
Methinks
we have a moral obligation to rise to the occasion and help the Corbellis of
Italy and other parts of Europe. We must make available all sides and angles of
the issue objectively.
Dr Usman Muhammad
University of Abuja
This
is disgusting! Her action has brought disgrace to us! That's why whites and
others laugh at us. She's a disgrace to the black race!
Sola Aiyetan,
Russia
 |
| Kate Omoregbe and Franco Corbelli |
No
excuse for this kind of self-deprecation, but there are explanations: when
someone in Denmark painted a cartoon of Muhammad, innocent people were killed
in Nigeria; when a Nigerian won the Miss World contest and the country
automatically got the ticket to host the next edition of the competition,
innocent souls were lost; immediately after 9/11 some idiots in Nigeria started
naming their newborn after Bin Laden; someone’s hand was hacked off in Zamfara
for stealing a goat; Boko Haram is out there killing and maiming in the name of
‘death to Western civilization.’ Farooq it is not only Saffiyya Hussien and
co., the examples are plenty, they all got worldwide coverage and the situation
is only getting worse. This is the reason why the most outlandish stories can
sound plausible. The North Country has to take another look at itself.
Anonymous commenter from the UK
I read
your update and letter from Italy about Kate Omoregbe. I couldn’t help laughing.
As you rightly said, now I understand why 419 scammers get them so easily. Methinks
they love to believe we are savages/barbaric/Stone Age people (makes better
sense to them). Hope to read more on Saturday.
Tina Hannis
One
of the silly-silly lies told by desperate Nigerians that are curiously believed
by people who only need to go on the Internet to deflate such lies. And, yes, I
know of someone claiming he's being victimized for his sexuality. I don’t who's
more stupid: those making up the stories or those willingly believing them. An
Edo woman taking advantage of shariah/Islam. Mtcheeeewwwwwwwwwww!
Aliyu O. Musa,
UK
This
lady is a drug trafficker and an ex-convict and Italians believe her stupid
stories! Dr. Kperogi was right in saying that Italy can start negotiating with
Nigeria for the transfer of our criminals to their country. Thanks, Dr. Kperogi,
for exposing this. Forget what the stupid Italian Corbelli said about you.
Dr. Aminu Mohammed
Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto
I
really appreciate the way you expose those Nigerian criminals in the habit of putting
black paint on Nigerian Muslims. May the Almighty protect you from undesirable
elements, especially the so-called Western activists. Thank you, sir.
Salisu Kawuwa Suleiman
So
oyinbo can be so daft, too? What does it take for them to uncover the lies? Just
a click! Don’t we have an embassy in Italy? Or is it the usual Nigerian
[official incompetence]? I am highly disappointed and disgusted! This is
childish, for real. Allah ya isa.
Mohammed Sani,
Maiduguri
This
is terrible! Somebody needs to do something about this. The Nigeria Supreme Council
for Islamic Affairs, the Jama'atu Nasril Islam, the MSS, etc should, on behalf
of Nigerian Muslims, write a strong petition to the Italian Embassy in Nigeria
and to the Nigerian President about these ingrates who malign and blackmail
Islam and Muslims in Nigeria for their selfish motives. We should not just fold
our arms and only hiss, please.
Yusuf Ameen
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