Turkish govt has declared war on us, Nigerian student cries out from hiding


Date posted: October 2, 2016

Fredrick Nwabufo

Nigerian students in Turkey are in hiding following the government’s crackdown on them.

One of the affected students, who spoke to TheCable on Sunday, said that the Turkish government had declared an all-out war on them.

He said this is as a result of the refusal of President Muhammadu Buhari to accede to the request of closing down schools that shared the philosophy of Fethullah Gulen, an Islamic cleric who was blamed for the July 15 botched coup.

The Turkish schools in Nigeria are owned by the followers of Gulen, and the operation of the institutions is couched in Hizmet philosophy, which extols the virtues of charity, knowledge, peace and hard work.

The Nigerian government declined to shut down the schools after the Turkish government failed to show evidence that their sponsors were terrorists.

The source told TheCable that Nigerian students in Turkey were holed up in their rooms for fear of being arrested and deported.

“They (Turkish government) closed the private universities after the coup because they claimed they were affiliated to a terrorist organisation. Most of us international students were affected. My university was Fatih,” he said.

“The government said that they would transfer us to Instanbul University, and they promised to let us continue our studies. But on Sunday, September 25, they started arresting and deporting Nigerian students.

“But I know that students from Niger and Somalia were not harassed, arrested nor deported because their home governments shut down schools linked to the Hizmet movement at the request of the Turkish government.

“We are scared of leaving our rooms for fear of being arrested and charged with terrorism, or deported. Most of us are in our final year. What do we do?

“There is a man-hunt for Nigerian students in Turkey. We are holed up in our rooms.”

On Saturday, TheCable reported that the Turkish government had commenced a massive deportation of Nigerian students.

ThisDay newspaper had also reported that 50 Nigerian students were being detained in the country.

Source: The Cable , October 2, 2016

Tags: | | | | | |


Related News

Toward the ‘Mubarak model’

As Turkey’s all-inclusive civil society organization, the Hizmet movement, which has always advocated human rights and freedom, adopted democracy, worked to make the state more transparent and accountable, supported Turkey’s accession to the EU and its integration into the world, has become a target.

İstanbul hosts dialogue leaders to discuss tolerance in education

MAHIR ZEYNALOV “What we are doing here is for the better future of our people, to tackle global threats and institute global peace,” said Rostislav Rybakov, head of the Institute of Oriental Studies, during a conference held in İstanbul on Monday to discuss tolerance and dialogue in education. The Dialogue Eurasia Platform (DEP) together with […]

Report: Erdoğan’s anti-Turkish school rhetoric damages Turkish-African ties

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s unrelenting denunciation of schools affiliated with the Gülen community and calls for the closure of the schools over the past two years have been harshly criticized in the central African country of Cameroon.

What else should Gülen say?

Fethullah Gülen’s stance on corruption and anti-democratic practices has never changed. Osman Şimşek, the editor of herkul.org, which broadcasts and publishes Gülen’s speeches, recently published a letter that Gülen sent to Erdoğan in May 2006. In the letter, Gülen warns the prime minister that his government had begun to deviate from its democratic line.

Somalian Ambassador, “We Felt the Eid with Turkish Aids”

Somalia, which is trying to relieve with Anatolian aid campaigns, thanks to Turkish people. Somalian Ambassador to Ankara, H.E. Mohamed Mursal Sheikh expressed his gratitude for the aid campaign organized by Turkey at Eid ul-Adha. He said: “We experienced the true Eid al-Adha by your friendship and great support.”

AK Party criticizes Hakan Şükür’s sudden resignation

Turkish media claimed that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the leader of the AK Party, said, “He [Şükür] resigned on an order [from the Hizmet movement], this is not a decision he can make alone.” However, AK Party spokesman Hüseyin Çelik denied the prime minister had made those comments. “I have spoken to the prime minister, everybody should know that he has not made such a statement,” Çelik said.

Latest News

Turkish inmate jailed over alleged Gülen links dies of heart attack in prison

Message of Condemnation and Condolences for Mass Shooting at Bondi Beach, Sydney

Media executive Hidayet Karaca marks 11th year in prison over alleged links to Gülen movement

ECtHR faults Turkey for convictions of 2,420 applicants over Gülen links in follow-up to 2023 judgment

New Book Exposes Erdoğan’s “Civil Death Project” Targeting the Hizmet Movement

European Human Rights Treaty Faces Legal And Political Tests

ECtHR rejects Turkey’s appeal, clearing path for retrials in Gülen-linked cases

Erdoğan’s Civil Death Project’ : The ‘politicide’ spanning more than a decade

Fethullah Gülen’s Vision and the Purpose of Hizmet

In Case You Missed It

The Peace Islands Institute of New Jersey Awards Recognize Excellence

Likely case against Hizmet will bolster authoritarian character of Erdoğan gov’t

Volunteers Back from Medical Service in Somalia

Crimes Against Humanity in Erdogan’s Turkey

Turkish opposition deputy: Women jailed with children are treated like enemies

Purge-victim businessman dies of cancer days after being released from prison

Turkish Schools In Somalia

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News