By Abu B. Shaw, Vanguard London Bureau Chief
The British government has launched a massive manhunt for over one thousand foreign criminals who have committed heinous crimes in the country over the years. Among these dangerous criminals is a Sierra Leone national who is also on the run for fear of being deported.
This state of affairs has bothered 10 Downing Street, the seat of power. Prime Minister Tony Blair, on Friday May 5 suddenly reshuffled his cabinet, the biggest since he came to power in 1997. The biggest casualty of the shake-up was Charles Clarke, the former Home Secretary(photo).
Releasing the foreign criminals on to the streets of the United Kingdom rather than deporting them back to their countries of origin after serving their prison sentences as recommended by law was a mistake that would haunt Charles Clarke in particular and the ruling Labour government for years to come. To make matters worse, some of the freed criminals have already started re-offending.
The Sierra Leonean, named as Babatunde Deen, is among the 1023 dangerous convicts on the run. Other African nationals are also included on the British wanted list. According to police and immigration sources, Babatunde was sentenced to nine years imprisonment in 1998 for attempted murder.
Babatunde, 27, is said to have used a heavy stick and bludgeoned his girl friend during an altercation.
Babatunde also doused the Sierra Leonean girl friend with a corrosive liquid and threw her from a third floor window. She miraculously survived the ordeal.
It was then recommended by a London court that Babatunde should be deported back to Sierra Leone after serving his prison sentence. But this was not to be due to the blunder at the Home Office. Now Babatunde, like others, is still living in the UK.
The April 27th edition of the Sun newspaper even confirmed that Babatunde Deen’s name is still on the Electoral register with an address in South London. But he could still not be traced by the police.
Another African, who slipped the deportation net after serving three years in prison for robbery is reported to have gone back to Somalia, his country of origin, after he was declared wanted for the murder of police officer Sharon Beshenivsky last November. Mustaf Jama, 25, came to the UK to seek political asylum but after serving his prison sentence for robbery, the Home Office decided not to deport him to Somalia for his own safety.
There are 42 dangerous foreign criminals on the loose who are likely to re-offend. This was confirmed by the Home Office. Those on the loose include killers, rapists, paedophiles and thugs.
Prior to sacking Charles Clarke, Tony Blair has been defending his embattled former Home Secretary in during Prime Minister’s Question Time in the House of Commons on Wednesdays. But the Prime Minister’s defence was unhelpful as tension continues to mount from the opposition. The Conservative leader David Cameron and Menzie Campbell of the Liberal Democrats have all been calling for the resignation of Mr. Clarke.
The issue of the foreign criminals may have contributed to the Labour party performing badly in last Thursday’s May 4 local elections. It was a serious blow as the government lost many council seats to the opposition parties.
The new Home Secretary is Dr. John Reid who, until his appointment, was Defence Secretary.
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