The world Basketball U17 championship which kicked off on Wednesday June 22, 2016 saw Nigeria female basketball team disqualified.
The disqualification came as a result of the Spanish Embassy denied the girls visa into the country.
According to reports, the Spanish Embassy claimed they received a email from Anti Human Trafficking Agency (NAPTIP) that there was an alleged case of child trafficking.
The NAPTIP has since denied these allegations.
Meanwhile the NAPTIP immediately released a press conference to address the matter as stated the conditions the Spanish Embassy gave them for the reason of the girls visa denial.
Read the full statement:
“The attention of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has been drawn to the news indicating that the Nigerian National Under- 17 Basketball Women team billed to participant in the FIBA Under- 17 World Championship in Zaragoza, Spain have been denied visa by the Spanish Embassy based on a letter from the Agency.
We deny this report inentirely. NAPTIP never wrote to the Spanish embassy or anybody at all on this matter. It is true that the Nigerian Basketball Federation (NBBF) through a letter signed by its Secretary- General, Okeke Patrick. N wrote a letter to the Agency seeking assistance for the team.
Calls were made to the Secretary -General to visit the Agency to clarify the type of assistance needed. He said he will not be able to come butthat he will send his deputy. Till today, nobody came from NBBF on the matter and there was no basis to write to anybody or Embassy on it.
When the news broke a while ago, my Ag. Director-General, Alhaji Abdulrazak Dangiri and Icalled the Embassy of Spain in Abuja to confirm the information and we were pointedly told that NAPTIP HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE VISA DENIAL.
We were also informed that the visa application was denied based on three issues:
i. The application was full of irregularities;
ii. The application came late and;
iii. The person who signed the application was late and couldn’t have signed such an application.It is important that the Basketball federation informs the nation the true position of this matter and not look for anybody to put the blame on.
This is the true position.
Josiah Emerole
Head, Press and Public Relations (NAPTIP)FOR MORE BREAKING NEWS ON BBM ADD: 24D8750B
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