London — Nigerians in London Friday used phone calls to chase the attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice, Michael Aondoakaa, out of the London Heathrow Marriot Hotel on Bath Road, Harlington, Hayes, UB3 5AN, United Kingdom.
Aondoakaa was said to have promptly left after the calls became too strident.
His spokesperson Taye Akinyemi, however, was quoted yesterday as saying that he was not aware of the incident. He promised to call his principal to confirm the story, but later said he could not reach the minister.
The protest
The phone calls by Nigerians followed an advisory by the Nigeria Liberty Forum in London notifying Nigerian nationals that Aondoakaa was in the city.
"Nigeria and all haters of corruption have been alerted to the presence in London of Nigeria's notoriously corrupt protector of looters of Nigeria, Michael Aondoakaa," it said.
The minister arrived in the UK two days ago to deploy federal power against the impending trial of President Yar'Adua's friends: the former Delta State governor, James Ibori, and Yar'Adua's private principal secretary, David Edevbie. The trial commences at the Southwark Crown Court on Monday.
The Nigeria Liberty Forum, which earlier this year successfully organised a protest against the presence of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, at the London School of Economics and Political Science, urged Nigerians to protest Aondoakaa's presence from the comfort of their homes by calling the hotel to ask them to kick the AGF out of the place.
The NLF advised callers: "Be civil, ask to speak with Michael Aondoakaa after you dial to speak with the operator. If he is there in his room, curse the daylights out of him for destroying Nigeria; if he is absent, leave him a voicemail message.
It was gathered that the Marriot Hotel management found themselves overwhelmed by calls from across the world within just 30 minutes. They said that Mr. Aondoakaa, who had checked into the hotel the day before, checked out abruptly when alerted that so many people were calling to ask after him.
Sources said Aondoakaa left empty-handed without successfully securing any meetings with the UK Home Office or the Crown Prosecution Service, the UK bodies to which he was instructed to make some protests and submit "clearance papers" on behalf of Ibori and Edevbie.
Aondoakaa, who also claimed to have attended a UN meeting for a few hours in Vienna Friday, told his friends who approached him about his recent embarrassing conduct that he was merely playing the script of Nigeria's taciturn and reclusive leader, Umaru Yar'Adua.
Speaking to reporters, Kayode Ogundamesi, the leader of the NLF, said his organisation is in the forefront of bringing "Nigerians living in Britain to make the life of looters hell when they are visiting the UK. We shall be at the court tomorrow when their trial begins," he said.
by Ebahi Ifidon-Ekuerhare, Leadership (Abuja)
Aondoakaa was said to have promptly left after the calls became too strident.
His spokesperson Taye Akinyemi, however, was quoted yesterday as saying that he was not aware of the incident. He promised to call his principal to confirm the story, but later said he could not reach the minister.
The protest
The phone calls by Nigerians followed an advisory by the Nigeria Liberty Forum in London notifying Nigerian nationals that Aondoakaa was in the city.
"Nigeria and all haters of corruption have been alerted to the presence in London of Nigeria's notoriously corrupt protector of looters of Nigeria, Michael Aondoakaa," it said.
The minister arrived in the UK two days ago to deploy federal power against the impending trial of President Yar'Adua's friends: the former Delta State governor, James Ibori, and Yar'Adua's private principal secretary, David Edevbie. The trial commences at the Southwark Crown Court on Monday.
The Nigeria Liberty Forum, which earlier this year successfully organised a protest against the presence of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, at the London School of Economics and Political Science, urged Nigerians to protest Aondoakaa's presence from the comfort of their homes by calling the hotel to ask them to kick the AGF out of the place.
The NLF advised callers: "Be civil, ask to speak with Michael Aondoakaa after you dial to speak with the operator. If he is there in his room, curse the daylights out of him for destroying Nigeria; if he is absent, leave him a voicemail message.
It was gathered that the Marriot Hotel management found themselves overwhelmed by calls from across the world within just 30 minutes. They said that Mr. Aondoakaa, who had checked into the hotel the day before, checked out abruptly when alerted that so many people were calling to ask after him.
Sources said Aondoakaa left empty-handed without successfully securing any meetings with the UK Home Office or the Crown Prosecution Service, the UK bodies to which he was instructed to make some protests and submit "clearance papers" on behalf of Ibori and Edevbie.
Aondoakaa, who also claimed to have attended a UN meeting for a few hours in Vienna Friday, told his friends who approached him about his recent embarrassing conduct that he was merely playing the script of Nigeria's taciturn and reclusive leader, Umaru Yar'Adua.
Speaking to reporters, Kayode Ogundamesi, the leader of the NLF, said his organisation is in the forefront of bringing "Nigerians living in Britain to make the life of looters hell when they are visiting the UK. We shall be at the court tomorrow when their trial begins," he said.
by Ebahi Ifidon-Ekuerhare, Leadership (Abuja)
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