He made this disclosure in an interview in Nigeria last week. Wali observed that Nigeria accepted to take in Tayor on asylum with the full knowledge of the international community, stressing that this was "agreed to by all." He said that Nigeria offered the asylum as that was seen as the only solution then.
This decision, has however, not gone down well with many Nigerians, some of who have gone to court to challenge Taylor's stay in the country. Said the envoy: "From our own perspective, when there is democracy in Liberia, Nigeria will handover Taylor to an elected government of Liberia.
Nigeria got him out and it is only Liberia that can demand him - a democratically elected government of Liberia, which is yet to happen." The current government of Liberia is a transitional government, which was not elected but appointed to steer the country away from the chaos that compelled the exit of Taylor.
The United Nations Tribunal in Sierra Leone and the United States (U.S.) government have since demanded that Nigeria should handover Taylor to the tribunal so that Taylor can answer charges of war crimes pending against him Some have even linked Taylor with the Al Qaida and terrorist group, in the ensuing effort to get him to pay for his several alleged human right violations while he was a warlord and president of Liberia.
Nigeria got support both from the UN and U.S. when it offered to take Taylor in at a time the threat of another long-drawn civil war was already hung
over Liberia.