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Nigeria’s erstwhile Ambassador to Namibia, Lilian Onoh, has told the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas that she is seeking imperishable residence (Green Card) successful Texas, US due to the fact that of a SaharaReporters’ study accusing her of corruption.
She claimed that due to the fact that of the article, she is seeking an asylum successful the US for diplomats successful information truthful arsenic to stay successful the state “permanently”.
Onoh stated this successful a 102-page affidavit submitted to the tribunal connected November 1, 2024, adding that the study titled “Nigerian Civil Service Commission Sacks Former High Commissioner to Namibia, Lilian Onoh, Over N50million Misappropriation, Recommends Trial by ICPC,” has prevented her from joining her church’s choir.
The civilian enactment with no. 3:23-cv-02838-B was filed against Sahara Reporters Media Group, Inc., Sahara Reporters, Inc., and Omoyele Sowore, who are the defendants.
The affidavit was filed arsenic the plaintiff’s (Onoh) effect to the defendants’ question to disregard the plaintiff’s archetypal amended ailment and supporting brief.
In her affidavit, Onoh identified herself arsenic a national of Nigeria who antecedently served arsenic the Nigerian Ambassador to Namibia, arsenic the Head of Mission successful Jamaica for Nigeria, and arsenic a diplomat astatine the Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the United Nations, New York.
It reads, “Onoh is presently seeking Permanent Legal Resident presumption successful the United States. Plaintiff Lilian Onoh brought this suit connected December 22, 2023 seeking damages from Defendants, Sahara Reporters Media Group, Inc., Sahara Reporters, Inc., and Omoyele Sowore, for defamation and intentional infliction of affectional distress arising from the work of an nonfiction connected a quality website that the Defendants ain and operate.
“Defendants primitively published this nonfiction connected April 21, 2023. On oregon astir April 21, 2023, Sahara Reporters published a communicative connected its website astir Onoh (“Article”). The rubric of the Article was “Nigerian Civil Service Commission Sacks Former High Commissioner to Namibia, Lilian Onoh, Over N50million Misappropriation, Recommends Trial by ICPC”.
“While Onoh primitively intended to discontinue successful Nigeria, she has revised her program owed to the Article and the information that it volition origin her should she return. For that reason, Onoh present intends to stay permanently successful Texas.
“Since the work of the Article, Onoh has filed the indispensable paperwork with the United States authorities to question asylum for diplomats successful information and stay successful the United States permanently.
“Onoh’s exertion for accommodation of presumption was accepted and she was issued an Employment Authorization papers which volition let her to stay successful the United States until 2028.”
“Onoh has precocious completed the last signifier of submitting aesculapian records to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services and is awaiting the issuance of her Green Card,” she said successful the affidavit.
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But according to the document, the Defendants’ archetypal question contends that the Court should disregard Onoh’s claims against Defendant Sowore “due to a deficiency of taxable substance jurisdiction”.
“Specifically, Defendants contend that Onoh’s deficiency of circumstantial pleadings regarding her citizenship destruct the implicit diverseness of the parties required by 28 U.S.C. § 1332,” it reads.
But the plaintiff successful the affidavit said, “Due to Defendants’ actions successful publishing these defamatory lies astir her, Onoh decided to question imperishable residence present successful the United States. Specifically, Onoh is successful the process of obtaining her Permanent Legal Resident status.
“Onoh intends to stay a Texas nonmigratory indefinitely pursuing receipt of this caller status.”
She said though the defendants’ work was done successful New York, the effect was felt successful Texas wherever “Onoh has lived permanently since 2021 and had a location since 2005”.
“Because of the Article, Onoh volition ne'er beryllium capable to enactment successful the diplomatic tract again wherever she had dedicated 30 years of her life,” she said.
According to Onoh, she mislaid implicit 90% of her friends, colleagues and acquaintances due to the fact that of the report.
“Second, to support herself, Onoh started hiding her individuality and utilizing a pseudonym erstwhile she met caller radical truthful that they would not look up her sanction and spot the Article.
“Even successful her church, Onoh has not been capable articulation the choir retired of fearfulness of immoderate inheritance check.
“Third, to debar specified embarrassment, Onoh’s societal beingness is practically non-existent. In particular, she avoids each Nigerian gatherings. Even having to supply her driver’s licence for thing arsenic elemental arsenic a store Rewards Card causes her utmost anxiety.
“Since the work of the Article, Onoh has been nether changeless carnal and affectional distress. In summation to having mislaid her friends and household and being forced to enactment distant from her homeland, Onoh has remained successful changeless fearfulness for her safety.”
She besides claimed that she has been uncovering it “difficult to slumber done the nighttime since the Defendants published the Article”.
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“Even successful church, I person not been capable to articulation the choir due to the fact that I americium acrophobic of the inheritance cheque indispensable and having to reply and explicate what I should not person to explain. I americium not a subordinate of immoderate religion ministry and I americium not an authoritative subordinate of my religion due to the fact that I simply bash not privation to springiness my existent sanction and I bash not privation to prevarication either,” she added.
Onoh Lies Under Oath
Meanwhile, the erstwhile Nigerian Ambassador lied nether oath earlier the U.S. District Court of Northern Texas successful her affidavit that during the 2021 United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), which opened connected September 14, 2021, past Minister of Foreign Affairs Geoffrey Onyeama and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Gabriel Aduda delivered tens of thousands of dollars successful currency to SaharaReporters’ New York office, done 1 Flavour Eze, said to beryllium Onyeama’s Personal Assistant.
Meanwhile, SaharaReporters’ bureau successful New York has closed since 2020 owed to COVID-19 pandemic.
Also, Sowore was arrested and detained successful January 2021 and detained by the constabulary nether past President Muhammadu Buhari’s authorities successful Abuja. He was aboriginal released wrong the period aft a Chief Magistrates’ Court successful Abuja granted him bail. However, the tribunal restricted his question to Abuja adjacent though determination was a subsisting Federal High Court bid from 2019 which had already restricted his question to Abuja.
Meanwhile, Sowore has not been successful complaint of SaharaReporters since helium resigned from the institution successful 2019 contrary to claims by Onoh that helium is the Chief Executive Officer of the company.
Onoh besides lied that she had ne'er been indicted for immoderate fiscal misconduct.
SaharaReporters connected September 22, 2021 exposed however a study by a seven-member committee indicted the past envoy to Namibia.
In the affidavit, Onoh claimed that she was not indicted by immoderate committee study of the committee and was ne'er been asked to refund a sum of N50 million.
But the Federal Civil Service Commission successful a missive dated October 20, 2021, signed by Mrs Patricia U. Umo, Director, Discipline and Appeals connected behalf of the Chairman, suspended Onoh for gross fiscal misappropriation and fraud.
The missive titled, ‘Suspension From Duty Amb. Lilian Onoh, Director (Foreign Affairs) SGL. 17,’ read, “I americium directed to notation to the recommendations of the Senior Staff Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs connected the allegations of Misconduct and Serious Misconduct leveled against you arsenic listed successful PSR 030402.
“Consequently, the Commission has approved your suspension from work with contiguous effect successful accordance with PSR 030406. Meanwhile, the proposal of the Federal Service Management Committee (FSMC) of the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federal (OHCSF), connected the substance is being awaited.
“Please, judge the regards of the Honourable Chairman.”
Also, past Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama acceptable up a committee pursuing the allegations of corruption against Onoh erstwhile immoderate officials of the Nigerian Mission successful Namibia, travelled to Windhoek, Namibia connected April 12, 2021, wherever they were received by the Charge d' Affaires, Mr. Ali Gombe.
Following the find of the infractions, Onoh was asked to refund the sum of $42,500 arsenic an acquisition supplement successful respect of her adopted daughters and refund $2,614 arsenic Excess connected AIE (Excess payment).
Meanwhile, according to a missive signed by the Director of Discipline and Appeals, NA Esuabana, astatine the Federal Civil Service Commission, Abuja, Onoh was summarily dismissed aft the Disciplinary Committee of the committee recovered her blameworthy of "breach of provisions of Financial Regulations connected virement, lack from work without leave, refusal to take/carry retired lawful acquisition which are acts of superior misconduct.”
Although Onoh was suspended successful 2021, her sacking was ratified aft a gathering of the committee.
The committee besides directed that she should beryllium handed implicit to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for investigation.
According to the letters dated February 28 and March 22 respectively, and made disposable to this organisation, the committee sat and deliberated connected the probe carried retired regarding accusations against the ambassador and truthful dismissed her forthwith.
Her dismissal took effect from February 1, 2021.
Onoh, a sister of erstwhile Most Beautiful Girl successful Nigeria and existent Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Ojukwu, was successful 2021 accused of amerciable diversion of funds meant for the day-to-day cognition of the ngo and was asked to refund the sum of $45,539.11, $70,448, and N614,000. This was portion of the recommendations of the seven-man committee headed by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Gabriel Aduda.
She was besides asked to refund N66,168 spent connected airfare of 2 home helps, $425 spent connected stopover for "two home helps and N34,000 for an other nighttime successful Abuja hotel.”
Others are, "Hotel accommodation - 11-17 December, 2017, N312, 000; Guest edifice accommodation - 26-31 December, 2018, N268, 200."
The letters detailing her summary dismissal read, “I americium directed to pass you that the Federal Civil Service Commission astatine its 33rd gathering held connected Wednesday 14th December, 2022 deliberated connected the allegation of breach of provisions of Financial Regulations connected virement, lack from work without leave, refusal to take/carry retired lawful acquisition which are acts of superior misconduct and misconduct nether the PSR 030402(e),(m),(w) and 030301(m) and recovered you culpable of the offences.
“The Commission has, truthful approved your dismissal from the Service with effect from 1st February, 2021. The Commission wishes you good successful your aboriginal endeavor; N.A.Esuabana, Director (Discipline and Appeals) For: Honourable Chairman.”
The different missive read, “I americium directed to notation to the supra subject, and pass you that the Federal Civil Service Commission astatine its 33rd gathering held connected Wednesday 14th December, 2022 deliberated connected the lawsuit of the nether listed Officer and approved arsenic stated below:
“Name, Rank: Amb. Lilian I. Onoh, Ambassador; Decision: The Commission considered the lawsuit and approved the dismissal from the Service of the Officer with effect from 1st February, 2021 and that the Officer beryllium handed implicit to the ICPC for further investigation.
“You are therefore, kindly requested to present the attached archetypal missive to the acrophobic officer.”
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