The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned the assault of a Nigerian diplomat by immigration officials in Indonesia and has summoned the Indonesian Ambassador to Nigeria over the assault.
A video that went viral online over the weekend, showed the victim, whose name was not mentioned, being manhandled and arrested by at least three Indonesian immigration officials in front of his official quarters in the Asian country.
They assaulted the Nigerian envoy, ignoring his screams of pain. While two of the men held his hands and pinned him down in the backseat, another freely assaulted his unprotected head as he cried out in pain.
A statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says the Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, has summoned the Indonesian Ambassador to Nigeria over the assault.
The statement in part reads, “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is in receipt of a report and has seen a video in circulation regarding an unacceptable incident in Jakarta, Indonesia Concerning the manhandling and arrest of a Nigerian Diplomatic Agent in front of his official quarters on 7 August 2021.
“The Nigerian Government has complained strongly to the Government of Indonesia, and the Ambassador of Indonesia to Nigeria was summoned by the Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs.
“The Ambassador explained what he understood happened and apologized unreservedly on behalf of the Government of Indonesia.
“The Nigerian Government has sent an official protest to the Government of Indonesia.
“The Ambassador of Nigeria to Indonesia has confirmed that the immigration officials involved had since come to the Nigerian Embassy to apologize to the Ambassador and the diplomat concerned.”
