Ekweremadu’s attackers will face German law, says embassy

The Nigerian embassy in Germany says the attackers of Ike Ekweremadu, former deputy senate president, will be prosecuted under German laws.

Under German laws, physical assaults are punishable by fines or imprisonments of up to 10 years, depending on the gravity.

Ekweremadu, who is a serving senator from Enugu state, was beaten up by members of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) in Nuremberg, Germany, on Saturday at an event organised under the auspices of “Ndigbo Germany”.

In a press statement shared with TheCable on Monday evening, the embassy of Nigeria in Berlin said the threat level of the event had been classified as “minimal” by the German police, hence the lack of security personnel at the event.

Ekweremadu was molested as he arrived the venue to give the keynote.

The full text of the embassy’s statement

The Embassy of Nigeria, Berlin, Germany wishes to react to viral videos of a vicious physical attack on the immediate past Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate and serving Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Ike Ekweremadu, by some members an illegal and terrorist entity named Indigenous Peoples of Biafra ( POB) in Nuremberg on 17th August 2019.

The attack happened at an event organised by Nigerians in Germany under the auspices of a socio-cultural organisation known as Ndigbo Germany, a registered entity in the Federal Republic of Germany. Invitations were  extended to  Nigerian dignitaries, including the Distinguished Senator and Nigeria’s Ambassador to Germany, His Excellency Yusuf Maitama Tuggar. The Nigerian Ambassador also honoured the invitation but arrived at the venue shortly after the incident. The organisers reportedly requested for police protection to ensure public order during the event but were told that the threat level was minimal and did not require stationing of any personnel at the venue before the incident.

The Embassy has requested a thorough investigation of this attack with a view to identifying the perpetrators and bringing them swiftly to justice in accordance with German law.

This would deter future acts of violence against officials of the Nigerian Government on German soil particularly against the backdrop of threats by the proscribed IPOB to carry out similar attacks on more Nigerian dignitaries, especially those from the South Eastern part of the country.

Embassy of Nigeria Berlin, Germany 19th August 2019