The Nigerian government has flayed its Indonesian counterpart over the arrest and manhandling of a Nigerian Consular officer serving at the country’s Embassy in Indonesian capital, Jakarta.
The incident happened on Saturday, 7th August, 2021, in front of the Consular’s official quarters, according to a statement issued on Monday by the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Nigerian government, in the strongly worded statement said the assault meted out to its Diplomatic Agent in Indonesia flies against international law and the Vienna conventions governing Diplomatic and Consular Relations between states.
In a video, the Consular officer of Nigeria (name withheld) was seen being assaulted inside a car by three men said to be immigration officials. Two of the men were seen forcefully holding the Consular officer’s hands and legs, applying what looks like a torture technique, while the third man pinned the victim’s head to a car seat with his hand — somewhat akin to the circumstances that led to the death of George Floyd in the hands of former Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin.
While the assault lasted, the consular officer in the video almost pass out battling for his life, following the excruciating pain he suffered as he was heard shouting “my neck! i can’t breathe! I can’t breathe” for several times till his voice thinned out towards the end of the one-minute video sighted by The New Diplomat.
Reacting to the incident, the Nigerian government described it as “unacceptable,” saying it has sent an official correspondence to the government of Indonesia to protest the violent action of its state officials.
The statement by the Ministy of Foreign Affairs added that: “The Ambassador of Nigeria to Indonesia has confirmed that the immigration officials involved had since come to the Nigerian Embassy to apologise to the ambassador and diplomat concerned.
“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.”
