Several Akalites may be deported from Cambodia.
3 min read
From all indicators Umuaka Times correspondent in Cambodia gathered last week, it will not take a long time for the Cambodian authorities to begin mass arrests and deportation of Nigerians from the Southeast Asian country. Recent findings made by Umuaka Times show that Cambodia, according one dependable source “…remains one of the poorest countries in Asia, and long-term economic development remains a daunting challenge, inhibited by corruption, limited human resources, high-income inequality, and poor job prospects.” With this damaging report, Umuaka Times wonders what Nigerians who seek for visas to the country with a population of 16.59 million according to 2021 census want to get in the poverty stricken country.
In 2021, a total number of 101 Nigerians was deported from Cambodia for criminal activities. From the year 2021, the country has recorded more suspicious activities from foreign nationals especially Nigerians. If the country decides to clamp down on Nigerians once again, Umuaka will have at least 2000 of her sons deported from the country. In Umuaka Today, it appears that there is a competition among families to send their male children to Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cyprus and Turkey. The number of young Akalites in Cambodia has turned to a big source of worry to some of the conservative Akalites who live in the country.
Umuaka Times correspondent in Cambodia reports that there is a high number of young and youthful Akalites in the country and some of them are just less than 17 years old. The young Akalites who move into the country in droves have found love in the capital city, Phnom Penh where they live and do “business”.
An Akalite who lives in the Phnom Penh city told Umuaka Times last week that, “our boys have come here with their recklessness, thinking that this is Nigeria where you behave anyhow you want and get away with it. Here there are cameras and policemen everywhere. I am afraid that these boys will one day be deported.”
The source equally disclosed that the young Akalites in Cambodia are always seen at beaches, night clubs, big hotels and other places of fun. The most worrisome of it all is that they now drive their motorcycles here exactly the way they drive them at home. “They have no respect to road signs and they over speed always.”
There is a strong indication that those who have travelled to the countries listed above have some hidden agenda in form of businesses. None of them according to the findings by Umuaka Times works with any firm or an international agency etc but are strongly suspected to be “yahoo boys”.
Amandugba, Ekwe, Awo and other towns within the Umuaka neighbourhood also have populations in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The risk observed so far is that most of the boys, especially Akalites gather together, drink, smoke and make a lot of noise capable of attracting the attention of the police and immigration officials.
About two years ago, the police in Cambodia arrested four Nigerians over internet fraud. According to Sahara Reporters, “Four Nigerian men were on Tuesday arrested in Cambodia, for alleged online fraud. The suspects were also arrested for kidnapping.
It was gathered that they were caught during a search and raid by Deputy Prosecutor Seng Heang and his team in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior in a condominium ( Zong Ruby) in Sen Sok district, Phnom Penh at 12:20. The four nationals were wanted in connection with a case of kidnapping in Vietnam.”
According to Radio Nigeria, another Nigerian, a 37 year old Kel Chi was arrested in the capital city last year for defrauding a lady of $5,000 after he met the lady on Facebook.
In 2019, 3 Nigerians were arrested in Cambodia over drug related offences. Sahara Reporters, quoting a dependable official source from Cambodia, gave their names thus. “The Dangkor district police chief, Chim Sitha, identified them as 35-year-old Maduka Jona Schibudo, 30-year-old Davis Candkwdo, and 25-year-old Obiesie Chika Odinaka Chiemerie.”
Sahara Reporters also confirms that “In 2014, two Nigerian cloth vendors, Emmanuel Thankgod and Michael Sunshine were arrested for their involvement in drug trafficking from Brazil to Cambodia.”
Having taken notes of all the criminal or suspicious activities of Nigerians in Cambodia, the country may soon embark on mass arrests and deportation of Nigerians who live in the Asian country without any verifiable means of livelihood.
If this is done, many Akalites and others from nearby communities will seriously be affected.
