Lawmaker seeks justice for maltreated Nigerian woman in Lebanon
The Lebanese community in Nigeria has been called upon to support the cause against injustice and violation of human rights meted out against Nigerians living in Lebanon.
Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora, Honourable Tolu Akande-Sadie, made the called in her reaction to an alleged maltreatment meted on Temitope Olamide Ariwolo, a Nigerian based in Lebanon, who was wrongly accused of murder.
The lawmaker, in a statement issued by his media aide, Olamilekan Olusada, also called on the Lebanese government to stop the maltreatment of Temitope by her employers.
Ariwolo, a 31-year-old lady, was beaten by Mahmoud Zahran, the husband of her employer, Feyzeh Diab, on April 25, 2020 at a home in Choueifat, South of Beirut.
Temitope, in a video she made and which revealed the level of injury inflicted on her said Mahmoud Zahran hit her in the mouth, causing serious bleeding, even as was prevented from being repatriated back to Nigeria as she is charged for murder.
Honourable Akande-Sadie said: “Lebanese Nigerian community, your support in any way possible to stop the victimization of this young woman and several others would be most appreciated.
“We Nigerians are really concerned about Temitope because in the recent past, two other Nigerian women have died in mysterious circumstances. It is very obvious that these are trumped up charges to punish this young woman for taking on her employer and the system in Lebanon.
“In addition, there is also an attempt by the Lebanese Ambassador in Nigeria to pervert justice, as he has requested that the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) release a Lebanese national on trial for Human Trafficking in exchange for Temitope.”
Querying the rationale behind the refusal of Temitope’employer to allow her repatriation back home, the federal lawmaker said the Lebanese government must be held responsible for the violation of Temitope’s rights which is in violation of the United Nation’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).
She said: “To date, the other Nigerian women prevented from boarding have since been released and are awaiting repatriation to Nigeria while Temitope is being held back and obviously cannot afford legal representation.
“On hearing the news, I could not understand like everyone else, why the family has prevented her from leaving Lebanon.”
She also called for freedom for other Nigerians being held in the country, noting that “Lebanese in Nigeria have been very welcome since the arrival of the first Lebanese Ilyas Al-Khuri, in 1890. Since then we have co-existed happily for many years with many Lebanese now also Nigerian citizens.”
Leave a Reply