Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah, a former lawmaker who represented Kebbi South Senatorial District for 16 years in the National Assembly, has pointed fingers at a particular region of the country, accusing it of creating hurdles for Nigerians seeking legitimate travel opportunities worldwide.
Na’Allah highlighted that this unspecified region of the country erroneously perceives drugs and scams as the sole paths to wealth.
Expressing his concern on Wednesday via his social media platform, the former lawmaker lamented the increasing challenges faced by Nigerians in travelling legitimately globally, attributing this difficulty primarily to the actions of citizens from a specific area of the nation.
He said: “It’s becoming increasingly difficult for Nigerians to legitimately move around the world because of the conduct of a few of the country’s citizens, predominantly from a section of the country, who erroneously believe drugs and scams are the only gateways to riches.”
Jaafar Jaafar, a Nigerian journalist, condemned Senator Na’Allah’s post, expressing confusion about its purpose. Instead, Jaafar argued that Boko Haram and bandit terrorism have inflicted greater damage on the reputation of Nigerians than drugs.
He said: “As a leader, I don’t know what Senator Bala Na’Allah wants to achieve with this tweet. In truth, I’d rather be an Escobar than Shekau.
“Boko Haram and bandit terrorism have cast more blight on our image as Nigerians than drugs. Since the case of the underwear bomber, developed countries have started serious background checks on Nigerian travellers before issuing visas. There are cases of Nigerian travellers being detained or subjected to close scrutiny because their names matched someone on the terror list. Nigeria lost foreign investments and tourism revenue not because of drug trafficking but due to terrorism.”
