By Ishaya Ibrahim
Nigerians are angry on social media after a Youtuber, Emdee Tiamiyu, told the British Broadcasting Corporation in an interview that those traveling to the UK on student Visa, aren’t going there for the degrees.
He said they consider the educational route as a means of escape from Nigeria.
He said: “The student route is more like an answered prayer. It is a big bracket that’s able to take a lot of people, the ordinary people.
“We’re beginning to see that a lot of people just hide behind the studentship. So the student thing is not real, it’s not like they need the degrees.”
After Emdee Tiamiyu’s interview, Nigerians on social media came after him with rage.
Here are some of the reactions on Twittter.
@drpenking: “This is Emdee Tiamiyu on his way to UK in September 2022. He entered the UK with the same dependent route in September 2022. Less than 9 months after he entered UK, he closed the border against his kinsmen and lineage with his mouth.”
@ushiebuaras said: “Dear @BBCNews Nigerians have been made aware of a video showing your interview with one “Emdee Tiamiyu” who claimed that Nigerians do not go to the UK because they need the degree. For the avoidance of doubt, your interviewee has spoken strictly for himself & not for Nigerians.”
@OgbeniDipo said: “The BBC needed Emdee Tiamiyu to provide content to support a certain narrative that will be ‘sold’ to the British public. Nothing he said is new to the Home Office. No one in Nigeria 🇳🇬 should be worried about how this will affect them. It won’t affect you. They needed this.”
@jaybahdwofaase said: ” We just discovered a new Judas Iscariot in Nigeria his name is Emdee Tiamiyu.”
@idong_udoewah said: “I don’t think that the intel provided by Emdee Tiamiyu to the BBC is something they do not already know. They just needed A black man to validate it. Just like the case of Judas, Jesus already knew the plan but of course, someone must take the fall.”
@mr_painz said: “See the Nigerian Vlogger Emdee Tiamiyu who revealed to the UK Authorities the latest student visa method that most Nigerians use to escape poverty away from the country leading to UK authorities permanently banning Nigerian students from bringing their families to the UK!!!”
Emdee Tiamiyu later offered an apology, saying he regretted making the comment.
