Indonesia expresses regret over Nigerian diplomat incident
POLITICS DIGEST- Indonesia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry has expressed regret for violence against a Nigerian diplomat on August 7, 2021 following an altercation with a Jakarta immigration officer.
“The incident is an isolated incident that is not in any way related to the Indonesian government’s commitment to carrying out its duty as a host, in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Teuku Faizasyah said while delivering a press statement online on Thursday.
The Indonesian government has continued to communicate through the diplomatic course with the Nigerian government over the matter, he added.
He also informed that the Law and Human Rights Ministry (Kemenkumham) has conducted an internal investigation into the incident.
According to a clarification provided by head of the Regional Office of Jakarta’s Law and Human Rights Ministry, Ibnu Chuldun, the diplomat had been “uncooperative” and assaulted an immigration officer who had sought to check his documentation.
Read Also:
The immigration officer got a swollen left lip and suffered bleeding, which can be proven based on the results of his forensic examination, he added.
Following the physical altercation, officer held the Nigerian citizen, who was later found to be a diplomat, Chuldun informed.
A video of the incident, which went viral on social media, showed the Nigerian diplomat, identified as Abdulrahman Ibrahim, yelling in his car as his head was pinned to the seat by an Indonesian immigration officer.
After the incident, the Nigerian government momentarily recalled its ambassador, Ari Usman Ogah, for a high-level consultation.
Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said it considers the incident a violation of international law and the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
Nigerian Foreign Affairs Minister Geoffrey Onyeama said that his government has requested Indonesia to give appropriate punishment to the immigration officer involved in the incident.
Meanwhile, Nigeria has already recalled the ambassador to Indonesia thus cutting tie with the government of Indonesia till proper action is taken over the said issue.
