THE SPANISH INQUISITION

The Naija Bloggers Book will accept submissions from bloggers on the issue of the maltreatment and subsequent death of the Nigerian, Osamuyia Aikpitanhi, on the Iberia Airline from Spain.

Spain, like every other country retains a right to protect its territory but kicking and punching a deportee, gagging him with industrial strength duct tape, tying/cuffing his hands and feet, placing a sack over his head and then letting him die as he choked on the gag and soiled himself with waste is horrific. This was the way they intended him to travel 6 hours? And the entire world went mad at the excesses of the American soldiers in the Al Ghraib prison?

He could have been our brother, our cousin, our friend. He could have been the boy next door, the one that smiled as he walked past our house. The "conquistadors" appear to be regressing to the days of the annihilation of the Incas and the Aztecs. Humans are not treated this way in the 21st century even if at one time, they considered it proper to do so.

Let no one forget, Xenophobia can be a two-way thing, and the incitement of a people who are regarded as amongst the most hospitable on the face of the earth will not serve any cause.

Submissions will not be counted as part of the quota for any blogger who has sent in the maximum number.

Entries for this topic will close on Sunday the 8th of July 2007.

"Every man's death diminishes me because I am involved in mankind. Therefore, send not to know for whom the bell tolls...It tolls for thee"

-John Donne

What were you doing on the 9th of June 2007. Whom did you laugh with? Whom did you hold close? Pause, recollect, then read.


An illegal Nigerian immigrant died while being deported from Spain with a restraining gag over his mouth, Spanish media reported on Monday.
The Iberia jet flying 97 passengers to Nigeria had to turn back to Spain and land in Alicante on Saturday after crew discovered that Osamuyia Aikpitanhi (23) had died, newspaper El Pais said.
Police union sources told El Pais Aikpitanhi may have died after swallowing a gag taped over his mouth to prevent him biting extradition officers.

According to reports, Spanish police resorted to beating him until he could be injected with a tranquilizer, his mouth being closed with heavy industrial strength tape, both hands and legs firmly tied with ropes. Then they loaded him into the plane covering him with a sack thereby obstructing the view of other passengers. Other published reports say the Iberia Airline pilot protested to the
Spanish authorities regarding the violation of Mr. Osamuyia Aikpitanhi’s
rights; This was on the heels of sustained
complaints by 96 other Nigerian passengers that were aboard the same
aircraft bound for Lagos, Nigeria.

Please sign the protest letter here.