Usman Ogar, Nigerian High Commissioner to Indonesia, and diplomat, Abdulrrahman Ibrahim, who was assaulted by immigration officers in the South-east Asian country, will arrive the country today.
The PUNCH reports that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed this on Wednesday, after the Indonesian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Usra Harahap, told the Minister of Foreign affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, in Abuja, that the Nigerian diplomat was aggressive during his encounter with immigration officers in his country.
Newsbreak had on Wednesday, reported that Ibrahim was assaulted in a car by some Indonesian immigration officials in Jakarta.
Consequently, the incident sparked a diplomatic row between Nigeria and the Indonesian authorities, with the federal government recalling Ogar for consultation, while threatening a review of the bilateral relations between the two nations.
Esther Sunsuwa, spokesperson for the foreign affairs ministry, on Wednesday, said:
“The Federal Government will make its position known after consulting with the recalled Nigerian envoy expected to arrive in the country along with Ibrahim on Thursday (today).”
Onyema had on Monday, summoned Harahap over the assault of the Nigerian diplomat in Jakarta.
The Indonesian envoy in his account, disclosed that the immigration officers from South Jakarta Immigration Office were carrying out surveillance on foreigners when they asked Ibrahim for identification.
He claimed that the Nigerian diplomat allegedly refused to identify himself or tender his passport.
“By that time, they met with Mr Ibrahim, and politely requested him to show his travel document. He answered that his passport was in his room,” he stated.
“Then the officer asked again, ‘Can we see your travel document to check the residence permit and if there are no problems with the document, so you may continue your activities.
“Mr Ibrahim was not willing to show his passport and said to the officer, ‘you will know who really I am and be careful on that.
“Instead of showing his identity card, Mr Ibrahim was angry and said, ‘Just arrest me and you will regret to know who really I am.’
“The officer said, ‘We will not detain you further sir, if you can show us your identity card.’ Then Mr Ibrahim said, ‘Where is your car, I’ll come to your office.’
“On the way to the immigration office in South Jakarta, several incidents happened. Mr Ibrahim elbowed the immigration officer, Mr Laode Hauzan Baidi, who was sitting next to him until Mr Laode’s lip was bleeding.
“This led to other officers restraining him from attacking another officer during the trip.”
Explaining that Ibrahim later showed his identity card, Harahap added:
“As of February 22, 2021, there were 180 Nigerian citizens in Indonesian Immigration Detention Centre, who were undergoing process for deportation.”
The envoy further said that the issue was resolved when the Nigerian high commissioner to Indonesia arrived at the South Jakarta Immigration Office around 6:30pm, together with the staff and his police guard from the Directorate of Security of Vital Objects of Police of the Greater Jakarta Metro Area.
He stated that the officer injured by Ibrahim lodged a complaint about the attack on him, but did not process it further because the matter had been resolved.
Meanwhile, the Association of Foreign Relations Professionals of Nigeria has commended the federal government for the recall of the Nigerian high commissioner to Indonesia.
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