As the panel raised by President Muhammadu Buhari to probe how a wanted terrorist obtained visa in Beirut to travel to Nigeria commenced its work, the Federal Government is considering summoning its ambassador to shed light on the development.
Specifically, the Charge de Affairs in Beirut is needed to clear the air on how the wanted man, Ahmed Al Assir, secured a Nigerian visa, who issued it to him and why.
A top official of the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Abuja confirmed to Vanguard that the ministry had sprung into action to get to the root of the matter, which she described as ‘very embarrassing’ to the government and people of Nigeria.
It was learnt that the decision to summon the envoy arose following the discrepancies contained in the man’s documents.
Although key government officials looking into the matter have sufficient reasons to believe that the visa used by the man who also goes by the name Rami Adbul Rahman Taleb, was forged in order to escape arrest, they are worried about the implications of such development to the Nigerian visa and the image of the country.
A source said: “We have gone far in carrying out the president’s directive to probe how the man came by the Nigerian visa but we want to be sure that the assignment is completed with accuracy and that the outcome will be able to block any attempt to tarnish the country’s image.
“We are thinking of summoning our Charge d’Affaires in Beirut if at the end of the day the materials we have on the ground are not enough to give us all the answers to the questions raised by the Presidency on the matter.
“On the other hand, if what we have is able to give us a breakthrough to what we need, then, we may not ask the envoy to come over to Abuja for more information on the issue.”
Asked whether the Federal Government was contemplating recalling its envoy from Beirut over the development, the official said it was a mere summon to enable the official to assist the government in the current probe and nothing more.
Vanguard learnt that the probe team headed by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Bulus Lolo, had already questioned many key officials of the ministry in and outside Nigeria with a view to submitting a comprehensive report on the issue to the Presidency.
Contacted, spokesman for the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Mr. Odeh Ogbole, confirmed that investigation into the matter had commenced in earnest but declined to give details of what had been done. He also refused to say who had been summoned or not.
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