FG writes Indonesia, protests manhandling, arrest of Nigerian diplomatic agent

August 10, 2021 2:25 pm

Onyeama on Nigerian diplomat in Indonesia

Geoffrey Onyeama, minister of foreign affairs, has summoned Usra Harahap, the Indonesian ambassador to Nigeria, over the alleged assault on a Nigerian diplomatic agent in Jakarta, Indonesia.

The federal government had written a protest letter to the Indonesian government after a video of the assault circulated on social media.

The diplomatic agent, identified as Ibrahim, was reportedly accosted by the Indonesian police when he went to a supermarket.

The video shows the man shouting “I can’t breathe” as he was being held down in a vehicle by several men.

The foreign affairs minister said the incident is against international law and the Vienna Conventions governing diplomatic and consular relations between states.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is in receipt of a report and has seen a video in circulation regarding an unacceptable incident in Jakarta, Indonesia,” he said.

“Concerning the manhandling and arrest of a Nigerian Diplomatic Agent in front of his official quarters on 7 August 2021.

“The Nigerian Government has complained strongly to the Government of Indonesia, and the Ambassador of Indonesia to Nigeria was summoned by the Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs.

“The Ambassador explained what he understood happened and apologized unreservedly on behalf of the Government of Indonesia.

“The Nigerian Government has sent an official protest to the Government of Indonesia.

“The Ambassador of Nigeria to Indonesia has confirmed that the immigration officials involved had since come to the Nigerian Embassy to apologize to the Ambassador and the diplomat concerned.”