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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has strongly condemned the reported arrest of 42 Nigerians in Mozambique, describing the incident as “distasteful” and calling for their immediate release.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday and signed by Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, she expressed concern that the Nigerians were allegedly singled out for arrest without any stated offense.
“It is distasteful to learn that only Nigerians were allegedly handpicked for arrest,” she said, stressing that if any of them had violated the law, the appropriate procedure would be to arraign them before a competent court.
According to her, “the reported sudden and specific roundup of only Nigerians depicts a xenophobic attack on Nigerian citizens.” She therefore urged Mozambican authorities to “immediately release the arrested Nigerians or let the law take its course.”
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Reports indicate that the 42 Nigerians were taken into custody at a spare parts market where, despite the presence of other traders of different nationalities, only Nigerians were detained. Witnesses allege that the arrests were carried out without explanation or formal charges.
The NIDCOM statement further revealed that the affected Nigerians are legal residents in Mozambique and that the country’s Attorney General was reportedly unaware of any charges against them. It also alleged that some of the detainees were beaten, had their personal belongings stolen, and are now suffering from ill health and in need of medical attention.
