The Nigerian Diplomat Elbowed Our Officials, Refused To Show Identity – Indonesia
Following the apologies her diplomat in Nigeria tendered to Nigeria and her citizens for the attack her immigration officials launched on a Nigerian diplomat, Abdulrahman Ibrahim in Jakarta, Indonesia has defended her officials, saying their attack was in defense.
Recall that the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headed by Geoffrey Onyeama had recalled Abdulrahman Ibrahim after he was detained on a street in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta and assaulted by some uniformed men.
In the 1 minute 30 seconds viral video which surfaced online, two men can be seen grabbing hold of Mr Ibrahim’s hands and a foot is pressed against one of his legs, while a third person can be seen pinning Mr Ibrahim’s face against the backseat of a car. The diplomat protested and yelled, “I can’t breathe” repeatedly and was later heard saying, “My neck, my neck.”
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Giving an official reaction to the incidence, Indonesian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Usra Harahap defended the assault, stating that Abdulrahman Ibrahim attacked the officials first. According to him, that the immigration officers from South Jakarta Immigration Office were carrying out surveillance on foreigners when they asked Abdulrahman Ibrahim for identification but he 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. 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.”
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“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”, he said.
Further explaining that Ibrahim later showed his identity card, Usra Harahap added that as of February 22, 2021, there were 180 Nigerian citizens in Indonesian Immigration Detention Centre, who were undergoing process for deportation. He further said that the issue was resolved when the Nigerian high commissioner to Indonesia arrived at the South Jakarta Immigration Office around 6:30 pm, together with the staff and his police guard from the Directorate of Security of Vital Objects of Police of the Greater Jakarta Metro Area.
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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.
The PUNCH said when its correspondent asked if Indonesia would sanction the officials involved in the incident as demanded by Onyeama, the spokesman for the Indonesian High Commission in Nigeria, Mr Zaenur Rofid, said investigation into the incident was still ongoing.
