FG engages Pakistan over video of ‘Nigerian being tortured by drug barons’

The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) says it is engaging the Pakistani authorities to investigate the abduction and torture of a Nigerian man in the country.

On Monday, a video surfaced online showing a man, said to be a Nigerian, tied up and tortured as he cried out to a brother at large whom he claimed used him as collateral for drugs.

The unidentified man was said to have been filmed by a gang to force his colleague out of hiding to meet a financial obligation the duo had entered into with the merchants.

In a social media post made by Stella Dimoko Korkus, a blogger who attributed the video to a source, said the victim was used as collateral in a Pakistan drug deal.

“Someone sent this to me so we help this Nigerian man. They say he was used as collateral for drugs (possibly in Pakistan)and his friend Andrew is nowhere to be found,” she wrote on Instagram.

“Please if you recognize this man and know his friend Andrew, beg him to swing into action. He says he will be killed on July 12 if Andrew does not pay up.

“Swipe to watch the last part. I stayed awake traumatized by this. Andrew, go save your brother! Tag as many people as u can that might help.”

When contacted on the development, Gabriel Odu, a spokesperson of NIDCOM told TheCable that the commission had reached out to the appropriate authorities in Pakistan to address the issue.

“If they can track the location, address, persons involved, etc, they would revert to the commission. But now information about the event is sketchy. We will update appropriately,” Odu explained in a tweet.

In a statement, the commission said: “Our attention has been drawn to this disturbing video of a Nigerian brutally beaten up and threatened to be killed by a deadly Pakistani gang after his brother ripped off the gang.

“We’re escalating to our mission in Islamabad, Pakistan for investigation.”

The commission also urged Nigerians in Pakistan to be calm as investigations commence.

Featured image: Abike Dabiri-Erewa, NIDCOM executive secretary