The FBI is not God: Why so much excitement and hysteria over the list?

When they speak of colonial mentality of backward people, they are referring to the tendency of black colonized people to react in self-replicating manner toward the white colonial masters. If the list of 80 fraud-accused people had come from the EFCC, would the reaction have been the same? Yet, there is no basis to consider the FBI perfect. Indeed, there are many things problematic about the FBI list.

First, DPA News has information that it was Obinwanne Okeke, Invictus Obi, who provided the FBI information that lead to the completion of investigation in the last case. He is cooperating with the FBI and we expect that more Nigerians will be exposed. But information from him may be tainted.

Second, most of the 77 Nigerians have never entered the United States. Whatever role they played was done from Nigeria. So, Nigeria has the jurisdiction to try them. If so, they will not be extradited to the US.

Third, most of the people on the list do not know themselves. The pivot of all interactions were the first 2 or 3 people who are based in the US. So, you need to look closely at the conspiracy charges.

Fourth, it is absolutely not in the interest of the US to extradite them to the US. That means most of those men will be entering the US for the first time; and for what purpose? Why spend American tax payers money to fly them to the US, try them in the US, imprison them in the US, and then deport them back to Nigeria.

What if they are granted bail with their passports held by court? That means they are free to marry American women and create immigration problem for the US. What if they are acquitted? There are so many questions. And who told you that FBI is right all the time? Of course your colonial mentality gave you that impression. It is likely that some of these men are innocent. And they are presumed innocent.

The reaction over the FBI list, particularly the reaction from the office of Nigerian Diaspora Commission, is ridiculous and unhelpful.