Nigeria summons Indian envoy, asks India to arrest and prosecute the Greater Noida attackers
According to the report, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Olushola Enikanolaiye, made the call in Abuja at a meeting on the issue with the Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Amb. Nagabushana Reddy.
Four Nigerian students were attacked by a mob in Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh during a candle-light march for a 17-year-old Indian boy, who died of suspected drug overdose.
The mob alleged that Nigerians masterminded the death of the boy.
Enikanolaiye said the call for the prosecution of culprits was necessary to serve as a deterrent to others and to forestall future occurrences.
He said that the High Commissioner was invited to register the Federal Government’s concern over the incident, NAN reported.
Enikanolaye said the boy was said to be on drugs and must have had an overdose of it which might have led to his death in a hospital.
“It is therefore, a concern to us that Nigerian students in that place were harassed, beaten up and many of them were seriously injured."
“We think this should not have happened considering the excellent relationship between two of us — the two countries have things in common and have been great friends.”
According to him, the concern of the ministry is that such a matter should not be allowed to affect the relationship between the two countries.
He expressed concern that the incident was not the first of its kind as Nigerians had been attacked in the past by Indians.
“This is not the first time this would happen; Nigerians have suffered similar attack in the past; so, what we will like to see on this occasion is that the perpetrator should be arrested," he said.
In his response, the High Commissioner described the incident as deplorable.
Reddy said that the Indian Minister of External Affairs had already issued a statement condemning the incident.
He said that security operatives had been deployed to the area where the incident occurred, to ensure peace and safety of Nigerians and other foreigners.
The envoy said that five of the seven accused persons had been arrested while security operatives were on the trail of the remaining two.
He, therefore, appealed to foreigners in the country to be calm with an assurance that the Government was committed to their safety.
“The Government is determined to see that justice is done,” the High Commissioner said.
Image: Wikimedia Commons
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