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From: AIDOGHIE PAULINUS, Abuja
The Federal Government has said it would unearth the circumstances which led to the death of 26 Nigerian women on the Mediterranean Sea.
The Federal Government however expressed condolences to the family of the victims, saying the development was a monumental loss and a sad moment to the country.
In a statement made available to Daily Sun by the spokesperson, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tope Adeleye Elias-Fatile, the Federal Government said the 26 suspected Nigerians, all of whom were females between the ages of fourteen and eighteen, were discovered on Sunday, November 5, 2017, in the Mediterranean Sea.
“We have received a reliable report from our Mission in Rome that the dead bodies of Twenty-Six (26) suspected Nigerians all of whom were female between the ages of fourteen and eighteen were discovered on Sunday 5th November, 2017 in the Mediterranean Sea.
“The report indicates that a Spanish Warship, Cantabria, brought the remains of the migrants to Southern Italian Port of Salerno.
“The Italian security officials who made this discovery are yet to confirm if they were purposely killed and why all who died were female,” the Federal Government said.
The government also said the Italian Police Chief in Salerno who noted that it appeard they were drown, has launched an investigation into the cause of their death to ascertain if they were either tortured or sexually assaulted.
“Indeed, this is a monumental loss and a sad moment to our country. As more investigations are being conducted on the unfortunate incident, the Federal Government wishes to commiserate with the family members of the victims,” the statement read.
Recall that 26 Nigerian women in a Spanish warship crossing through the Mediterranean Sea to Europe, were reported in the media on Tuesday to have lost their lives.
There were suspicions that they may have been sexually abused and murdered as they attempted to cross the Mediterranean.
