When Uruemu Adejinmi was selected as the Fianna Fáil Mayor of Longford in 2021 she was congratulated by the Neo Black Movement (NBM) of Africa who noted that she was the first African to be elevated to such a position.
The NBM has been labelled by the US justice department as a “criminal organisation” which is “part of the Black Axe” – a feared Nigerian crime syndicate which has been described by the BBC as “ultra-violent”.
The PRO of NBM, Oluwatosin Dixon, acclaimed Adejinmi’s election as an example of “what Africans aspire to be, in a free and egalitarian society, shorn of discrimination or racism.”
As Gript reported on Saturday, the NBM is widely believed to be closely connected to the Nigerian-based Black Axe gang which was the target of Garda raids and arrests last week in an operation run in co-operation with Interpol.
A full third of all the arrests made by the international police operation took place in Ireland. It is reported that the violent criminal gang laundered some €64 million through Ireland, and that some 4,000 people living here were complicit in its money laundering and other criminal activities.
The extent of Nigerian criminal gang activity here is clearly something that is in need of urgent attention. As indeed is the seeming ease with which gang members are able to enter the Irish state.
At least one of the most recent arrests, as well as one of the raids on a business premises believed to be a front for Black Axe, took place in Longford.
Gript contacted the former Mayor, Ms. Adejinmi, for comment on these events given her knowledge of the African community in Longford as founder of the Longford African Network, and whether she might also wish to comment upon, or explain, why she had received the endorsement of a group that seems to be little more than a front for a murderous criminal organisation.
The association between the Neo Black Movement and Black Axe is barely even concealed by NBM, apart altogether from the evidence we referred to of the criminal links that exist.
In contrast to her lack of response to the arrests, Adejanmi, in common with fellow graduate of Benin University, Dr. Ebun Joseph – Benin University having been the place where both Black Axe and the Neo Black Movement originated in the 1970s – has not been slow in accusing Irish people of racism. (A somewhat ludicrous allegation given the fact that both the former Mayor and Ms. Joseph have clearly prospered as guests of the Irish state.)
Adejinmi came to live in Ireland in 2003. She is from a wealthy elite family in Nigeria so it seems unlikely that she came here to seek asylum or even to improve her economic position. In one interview she stated that she had left Nigeria for personal reasons. She is married to Kehinde Adejinmi who is a consultant with Enersol and formerly worked for Shell in Nigeria.
Adejinmi’s father is the monarch of the Agbon Kingdom, His Royal Majesty Mike Omeru, Ogurime-Rime Ukori 1. Which makes the former Mayor a Princess, which is another first for Fianna Fail – the Republican Party.
Her father is also a “business mogul” who is Chairman of the Niger Cat construction company. He is clearly well connected to leading figures within the Nigerian elite, including Olorogun David Edevbie, the People’s Democratic Party candidate for the Delta region election for governor.
Adenjinmi has clearly done well for herself here. No one begrudges her that, but in common with other politicians she ought to be amenable to answering questions regarding questionable endorsements.
If a group associated with one of the feuding Dublin gangs congratulated the Mayor of Dublin, or indeed of Benin City, on being elected, you might imagine that he or she would be asked to provide some explanation or to distance themselves from such an association, however unwelcome and unsolicited it might have been.
Matthew 7:5 has something to say about those who are quick to find fault with others while being less censorious about one’s own.
We have received no response from Adejinmi, nor from the Longford African Network itself.
The LAN recently received a grant of €6,500 from Longford County Council for hosting the town’s traditional Africa Day in May.
Responding to the recent reports around Black Axe, local Independent Councillor for Longford, Gerry Warnock, said that it would be naïve to believe that some criminal elements have not entered our jurisdiction given the “unprecedented levels of immigration”.
As a general comment I do commend An Garda Siochana and the other law enforcement agencies on their operation in detecting and dealing with this type of criminal behaviour. However, it does raise the question as to how much more of this is out there!
Ireland has seen unprecedented levels of immigration in the last couple of years, and whilst most of those people behave appropriately, it would be very naïve of us to believe that some criminal elements have not entered our jurisdiction.
Therefore, it’s incumbent on law enforcement, the Judiciary and particularly Government to acknowledge this likelihood and prepare accordingly. I believe that we need to send out a clear message that there will be zero tolerance for those who come to our country to take advantage of our largely lenient system and good nature and that those convicted of offences against this state or it’s citizens should immediately be deported to their country of origin.
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