FG may review relations with Indonesia over assault on diplomat

THE Federal Government has threatened to review diplomatic relationship with Indonesia if it fails to punish immigration officials who assaulted a Nigerian diplomat. 

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffery Onyeama, who stated this at a briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, had also asked the Indonesian ambassador to give detailed account of the assault, which has sparked outrage after a video of it went viral. 

In the video of the incident which is circulating on social media, three men were seen wrestling a black man inside a car as they pinned his neck to the car seat and he kept begging for help. 

Although it is unclear what exactly led to the incident, Nigerian Tribune gathered that the official was harassed in front of the Nigerian diplomatic mission in the Asian country on Saturday. 

Speaking on the incident, Onyeama said, “There was absolutely no justification whatsoever for this kind of behaviour against a Nigerian diplomat, even any Nigerian at all. It was totally unacceptable. 

“What we’ve decided to do is to recall (for consultations immediately), our Nigerian ambassador in Jakarta in Indonesia and we will have full consultations at the highest level and decide what next steps to take, including a review of our relations with Indonesia.” 

Onyeama’s briefing follows the statement by the ministry on Monday, which condemned the assault. In the statement, the ministry had said the Indonesian ambassador to Nigeria had apologised and that the immigration officials involved had also visited the Nigerian Embassy in Indonesia to apologise to the diplomat. 

Onyeama, however, briefed journalists in Abuja that the Federal Government wanted stronger action to be taken by the Indonesian government. 

“The officials must be sanctioned. The Indonesia’s failure to do so will have consequences for the relationship between both countries,” he said.

 

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