*Onyeama Vows To Deal Severely With Perpetrators
By Kolawole Ojebisi
Another Nigerian embassy has been attacked. This time, it is the Nigerian Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia in Asia. This is coming shortly after the attack, and demolition of some buildings housing the Nigerian High Commission in Ghana.
It would be recalled that barely a week ago the Nigerian embassy in Ghana was attacked and while Nigerians are still reacting to the incident the country’s embassy in Indonesia has been attacked too.
But this time around the culprits are Nigerians in the foreign land themselves. The incident was captured in a video which has since gone viral. The video revealed some persons protesting and destroying property on the premises of the embassy.
The protesters trooped into the embassy, broke windows, pulled down the Nigerian flag and vandalised a bus that was parked within the premises of the building.
As they prepared to set the flag on fire, they switched between Igbo and English, shouting: “Enough is Enough”, “Nigeria cannot help us in this country”, “We Don’t Have An Embassy”, “Burn This Flag”, among other statements.
In its reaction, the federal government has condemned the action of the protesters as criminal and most unacceptable. Nigeria’s minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama who described the action of the protesters as criminal said it unjustified.
The Minister said the attack on the embassy was unjustified, adding that protesters will be found and dealt with.
Mr Onyeama said: “Absolutely deplorable and disgraceful criminal behaviour by Nigerian hooligans who without justification attacked the Nigerian Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia today,” he said in a tweet.
“Every effort will be made to identify them and see they are severely punished. Totally unacceptable behaviour.”
This latest development has attracted wide condemnation. Some international affairs experts and diplomats who spoke with The New Diplomat on condition of anonymity while flaying the action expressed shock, dismay and utter disappointment at the attitude of the protesters.
