The
Government of Turkey, on Thursday, said it had alerted the Federal Government
on the existence of schools and hospitals owned by suspected terrorists in
Nigeria. It demanded that the facilities be shut down. Turkey said it had officially notified the
Nigerian government on the existence of the schools, which bear the name of the
country but are not owned by it.
The Ambassador of Turkey to Nigeria, Mr. Hakan Cakil, while speaking to the Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Senator Shehu Sani, when the latter paid the diplomat a visit at his Abuja office, said the owners of the schools sponsored the recent coup in Turkey.
Sani was there in company with select journalists, including our correspondent.
The envoy said the institutions, which ranged from schools to hospitals, were allegedly owned by the Fethullah Gulen Terrorist Organization allegedly founded by Fethullag Gulen.
The Turkish government, which stated that the country does not own any school in Nigeria, said similar schools established in Turkey had been shut down.
According to the ambassador, confessions by the coup plotters, who are currently under investigation, have indicated that the same syndicate which hatched the botched July 15, 2016, coup, own the schools in Nigeria.
Cakil said the organization and its investments had enjoyed wide acceptance by the public in Turkey until suspected coupists confessed to using the organizations for terrorist activities.
He said all the schools owned by the organization had been shut down by the Turkish government as of last week.
But when contacted, the Director of Press and Public Communication, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Clement Aduku, said he was not aware of the letter by the Turkish mission.
“I have not seen any such of communications yet, but will find out from our principals if they have seen or received any update on the matter,” he said in an SMS.
The Ambassador of Turkey to Nigeria, Mr. Hakan Cakil, while speaking to the Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Senator Shehu Sani, when the latter paid the diplomat a visit at his Abuja office, said the owners of the schools sponsored the recent coup in Turkey.
Sani was there in company with select journalists, including our correspondent.
The envoy said the institutions, which ranged from schools to hospitals, were allegedly owned by the Fethullah Gulen Terrorist Organization allegedly founded by Fethullag Gulen.
The Turkish government, which stated that the country does not own any school in Nigeria, said similar schools established in Turkey had been shut down.
According to the ambassador, confessions by the coup plotters, who are currently under investigation, have indicated that the same syndicate which hatched the botched July 15, 2016, coup, own the schools in Nigeria.
Cakil said the organization and its investments had enjoyed wide acceptance by the public in Turkey until suspected coupists confessed to using the organizations for terrorist activities.
He said all the schools owned by the organization had been shut down by the Turkish government as of last week.
But when contacted, the Director of Press and Public Communication, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Clement Aduku, said he was not aware of the letter by the Turkish mission.
“I have not seen any such of communications yet, but will find out from our principals if they have seen or received any update on the matter,” he said in an SMS.
