Federal govt probes Nigerian visa granted to suspected terrorist

THE Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bulus Lolo, said the Federal Government had begun investigations on a wanted suspected terrorist granted visa in Lebanon to visit Nigeria.

Lolo said this while addressing newsmen in Abuja yesterday.

He confirmed that the man on wanted list “was of Palestinian extraction and resides in Lebanon.”

He explained that the Nigerian Charge d’Affairs in Lebanon had met with Lebanese authorities to look into the matter.

“I have commenced my own investigation. I spoke to our charge d’affairs in Lebanon and he has met with the Lebanese authorities.

“The charge d’affairs said the matter was being looked into, but the facts that were emerging would suggest that what the media had reported was not entirely the true story.

“It seems that this individual is of Palestine extraction and has resided for a very long time in Lebanon. He has residency and as you know Lebanon for quite some time has granted full residency to Palestinian refugees.

“So this may be one of such individual, but that he did not use his true name is what is of interest to us.

This is because the name he presented with the passport that was reported as Palestinian does not tally with what the Lebanese has as his name,” he said.

According to reports, a radical Muslim cleric, Ahmad al-Assir, was arrested by Lebanese authorities as he attempted to leave Lebanon to Nigeria via Cairo early on August 15.

He was reportedly arrested while attempting to travel with a fake Palestinian passport and with a valid Nigerian visa at Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport in Lebanon.

President Muhammadu Buhari had since ordered an investigation into the matter.