SHAME: 19 Nigerians arrested in UAE for robbing ATMs.

19 Nigerians who specialize in robbing Automated Teller Machines (ATM) in the United States Emirate, have been arrested by the police after months of painstaking monitoring of their activities.

The Sharjah Police, in a statement, said that the 19 Nigerian targeted ATM vehicles and at the time they were arrested, they had stolen Dh1.8 million, (about N 154 million).

The statement added that the suspects were arrested from several apartments occupied by 30 to 40 Nigerians.

According to Khaleej Times, the Nigerian robbers had come to the country on visit visas specifically to commit the robberies and in the process of their crime spree, they assaulted security guards accompanying the vehicles to carry out the robberies.

Addressing a press conference, the Director of Police Operations Department, Colonel Rashid bin Bayat, said the Nigerian criminals had committed four daring and violent robberies targeting money transportation vehicles that were delivering cash to ATMs.

At the conference, Col. Bayat said:

“The first robbery was committed at the ATM of the Dubai Commercial Bank on King Abdul Aziz Road, where the robbers assaulted security guards and fled with Dh340,000.

After two days, the gang struck again at an ATM near Saferr Mall in Al Nahda area, where they fled with Dh700,000.

They also attacked a cash transportation vehicle in Al Muweilah area, making off with Dh710,000. The fourth attack at an ATM on Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road was foiled by the police.”

According to the police, the suspects had transferred a part of the robbed money to Nigeria while efforts are being made to recover the rest of the loot and return them to their owners.

The suspects, the police added, were identified and arrested based on CCTV footages obtained from the banks and money exchange offices, said the police.

Nigeria vows to address discriminatory visa, banking polices by UAE government

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has assured that the Federal Government would address obnoxious policies on visa and banking against Nigerians in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The Minister gave the assurance in Abu Dhabi when he met with the officials of the Nigeria Embassy in UAE, led by the Charge d’ Affaires, Nura Rimi.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting was on the sideline of the International Conference for the Safeguarding of Cultural Heritage in Conflict Areas, attended by the minister in the UAE capital.

NAN reports that the minister represented President Muhammadu Buhari at the conference.

Mr. Mohammed said a situation where many Nigerians with genuine mission to the UAE were given only two weeks visa into the country was not acceptable.

The minister expressed shock to hear that Nigerians studying in the country were not allowed to open bank accounts, making it difficult to send money to them by their parents.

He assured that he would take the matter up with appropriate authorities at home and ensure something was done to address the challenges.

“I think these are quite serious issues especially when Nigeria gives them months when they apply for visa.

“I can assure you that the government will take it up.

“On the denial to open accounts, of course you will always have good people and bad people in every society, but unfortunately, it is that bad people that always attract the attention of the authorities.

“We will not want to be judged by these bad people and I think again it is a matter that the government has to immediately take up,” he said.

The minister assured the embassy staff that the concern raised on non-availability of current information on Nigeria in missions worldwide was being addressed.

The hosts had said that most time they relied on inaccurate information from internet, particularly when people come to seek information on investment potentials in Nigeria from the embassy.

The minister said that “on Dec. 15, the ministry will launch an information apps which is going to provide real time information to Nigerians home and abroad on any issue.”

He said the app is a collaboration between the ministry and the private sector and when launched it would be able to solve the challenge in all missions across the globe.

“We are also contemplating launching a special Foreign Service news delivery system where classified information, particularly on investment will be disseminated,” he said.

Reacting to Emirates Airline suspension of flight to Abuja and cutting down on frequency of flights to Lagos, the minister said the issue was being addressed

“It is not because the route is not viable; it is because they have been unable to repatriate their funds.

“The Central Bank of Nigeria and the government are working very hard to ensure that very soon it is reversed,’’ he said.
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The minister disclosed that government recently approved the signing of Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) with the UAE and Singapore which would forestall future occurrence of such development.

Mohammed expressed delight that the UAE was willing to assist in the challenge of Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) when approached.

He seized the opportunity to brief his hosts on what the government was doing to address the challenge of IDPs.

“Today, a minister is the coordinating officer between the various international organisations and government on IDPs.

“For once, the humanitarian organisations are realising the magnitude of the crisis in the North East, with an understanding that it is a crisis that involve over 20 million people from about seven nations around the Lake Chad Basin.

“The FAO, UNICEF, UNHR, International Organisation for Migration and others are coming together to our aid.

“What is interesting is that they said they have come because of the commitment the country has demonstrated to the crisis,” he said.

Earlier, the envoy had told the minister that in spite of all challenges, the mission had been able to carry out its assigned responsibilities diligently and received the recognition and accolade from the host country.

“Recently, we were awarded a certificate of excellence by the government of UAE.

“Nigeria embassy in Abu Dhabi is one of the three embassies that received the award of excellence and recognition.

“That goes to say that out of paucity of fund and other pressing challenged, we are still committed and dedicated to carrying out our responsibilities,” he said.

Rimi added that they were in total support of government’s efforts back home and ready to carry out any responsibility that will assist in the fulfilment of the change agenda.

He said that Nigerian living outside the shore of the county are also experiencing the same economic challenges people are facing back home

He said it is a supreme sacrifice that all have to make for better tomorrow.

Rimi said there is a sizeable number of Nigerians in the UAE particularly in Abu Dhabi.

“We have professionals in the state owned oil companies, renewable energy, tourism industry and we have university professors and other Nigerians in various institutions of learning.

We also have many business men in Dubai and a large concentration of Nigerian students in this country,” he said.

He appealed to government officials coming to the country for official duty to always notify the embassy ahead of their visit.

UAE To Introduce New Laws Soon To Regulate Drones

The United Arab Emirates will finalize laws to more heavily regulate the sale of drones and their operations soon, aiming to minimize risks posed by unmanned aerial vehicles, an official at the aviation regulator said on Monday.

Dubai International Airport was closed for more than an hour on June 12 due to unauthorized drone activity in the surrounding airspace that resulted in millions of dollars of losses for the economy.

“Several incidents have happened and to integrate them (drones) safely into the commercial airspace is a challenge,” Mohammed Faisal al-Dossari, director, air navigation & aerodromes department, UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), said.

Current regulations on drones in the UAE, introduced in April 2015, relate mainly to commercial licensing and approving how companies use drones and are under constant development, al Dossari told reporters at a regional conference on drones in the UAE capital.

“The Emirates Authority for Standardization & Metrology (Esma) is working on laws that will have a framework for the UAE for imports, sales and performance of drones,” he said.

Abu Dhabi has banned the sale of recreational drones since March last year until new laws are issued, saying they posed a risk to aviation.

The new laws will also address air-worthiness for heavier drones, standards for pilotless aircraft and pilot training among other issues, al Dossari said.

At least 400 drones, mostly commercial, are registered with the GCAA. Drones are used for commercial operations such as mapping, security surveillance, wildlife surveys as well as for environment, transport, agricultural and maritime purposes, among others in the UAE.

Read More: reuters

EFCC Chairman Meets UAE Envoy Over Money Laundering

Following President Buhari’s Mutual Legal Assistance agreement with the United Arab Emirate on the repatriation of stolen funds and extradition of indicted officials, the Acting Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, met with the UAE Ambassador to Nigeria, Mahmud Muhammad Al- Mahmud today in Abuja.

Magu called for the strengthening of the existing relationship between Nigeria and United Arab Emirate, UAE, with a view to effectively tackle corruption within the African continent.
“The fight against graft requires the collaborative support of all and sundry, most especially the international community for it to be won”, he said.
According to the EFCC boss, the present administration in the country is poised to recover the nation’s commonwealth looted and laundered in foreign countries by corrupt elements. He said the Commission has intelligence that the UAE is considered a safe haven by corrupt politically exposed persons in Nigeria.
A-Mahmud pledged the support of his country to Nigeria’s anti-graft war.

“No counrtry can be an island on its own without the support of others.” the UAE Ambassador said.

Car Bombs Target Egyptian, UAE Embassies in Libya

Car bombs went off outside the Egyptian and United Arab Emirates embassies in the Libyan capital on Thursday, causing some damage to the long-shuttered buildings but no casualties, officials said.

The near-simultaneous explosions rocked the upscale neighborhood housing foreign missions, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to media.

Both embassies, along with most diplomatic missions and international organizations, have been closed for months as Islamist-allied militias have battled forces loyal to the internationally-recognized government. The Islamist-allied militias now hold Tripoli and the country’s second-largest city Benghazi.

Egypt condemned the attack, saying it harmed the “historic blood ties” between the two nations. “Terrorist groups are using violence to reach political goals,” Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Credit: AP