Indonesia to investigate forcible restraint of Nigerian Diplomat
Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry has expressed its regret on Thursday after a senior Nigerian diplomat was forcibly restrained by immigration officers in Jakarta, prompting the African country to recall its Ambassador to Abuja for consultations.
A video of the incident, widely shared on social media and sparking outrage among users, shows the visibly distressed man being restrained inside a vehicle by several men.
“I can’t breathe,” he says at one point in the video, yelling out as his head is pinned to the seat.
Accredited Nigerian diplomat
The Nigerian Foreign Ministry described the man as an “accredited Nigerian diplomatic agent” at the Nigerian embassy in Jakarta, without naming him.
Indonesian Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson Teuku Faizasyah said on Thursday the Ministry regretted the Aug. 7 incident, and was continuing to communicate with the Nigerian government on the matter.
“That incident was an isolated incident and does not have anything to do with Indonesia’s commitment to performing its duties as a host country as per Vienna conventions on diplomatic relations,” he said.
He stated that “the law and human rights ministry had launched an internal investigation as a follow up to that incident”.
Meeting with Nigeria
Faizasyah said a meeting took place between the Ministry and the Nigerian Ambassador on Wednesday where they discussed “good relations” between the countries.
The Nigerian Foreign Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama strongly condemned the incident, calling it “an egregious act of international delinquency by Indonesian state actors”.
“The Nigerian government demands appropriate sanctions against the relevant officials and has recalled its ambassador in Indonesia for consultations, including a review of bilateral relations,” a Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esther Sunsuwa, said in a statement on Wednesday.
Indonesia’s immigration office defended the actions of its officers, saying the diplomat had been “uncooperative” when questioned in front of an apartment, during what an official said were routine checks on the validity of permits held by foreigners.
VOA/Mercy Chukwudiebere
