AFRPN Condemns Attack on Nigerian Diplomat
The Association of Foreign Relations Professionals of Nigeria, AFRPN, has requested the Indonesian Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr Ural Harahap, to return to his country until the Indonesian Government clarifies the assault on Nigerian diplomat Mohammed Buba.
The group communicated this in a statement entitled: “Undiplomatic and uncivilized treatment of a Nigerian diplomat in Indonesia.” They also called for the sack of the immigration officials involved in the act.
The group comprises serving and retired ambassadors. They commended the recall of Nigeria’s Ambassador to Indonesia, Usman Ogah until it is resolved.
Information gathered from Vanguard described the assault and strangulation of Buba by Indonesian Immigration officials as undiplomatic and uncivilized. The President of the group, Amb Gani Lawal, said it authorized the declaration of Indonesian embassy staff not wanted in Nigeria.
Amb. Lawal said the assault on Nigerian diplomats violated Article 29 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961.
According to him: “The association recommends the immediate disengagement of all the Indonesian immigration officers involved in such uncivilized manner to desecrate the age-long tradition of inviolability of diplomatic agent and their family and property as provided by Article 29 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961) which states that; “Diplomats must not be liable to any form of arrest or detention. They are immune from civil or criminal prosecution.
“The AFRPN commends the immediate step taken by our Ministry of Foreign Affairs in summoning the Indonesian ambassador before receiving the full report from its embassy as a first step in the series of reactions reserved for such heinous diplomatic blunder.
“Equally commendable is the subsequent step taken by MFA after receiving the missions report by inviting home the Nigerian ambassador for consultation while expecting the Indonesian ambassador to toe the diplomatic avenue by equally returning to Jakarta until satisfactory explanation and necessary recitative steps are taken by Indonesian authorities to assuage frayed nerves.”
The group added it was anticipating harsh reaction to provide a deterrent to a future occurrence of such treatment to “any of our diplomats and embassy home-based staffs and indeed any Nigerian citizen from anywhere across the globe,” even as the ministry is still reviewing the state of our bilateral relations with Indonesia,
They suggested that the family of the assaulted diplomat be adequately compensated materially and, in terms of health, for the traumatic treatment they’ve experienced, and public apology acceptable to the Government and people of Nigeria should be tendered, as well as an assurance against the repetition of such experience.
It also noted “the position of the house committee on diplomatic relations to move to invoke Article 9 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations to declare everyone at the Indonesian Embassy in Abuja persona non grata, if their nation’s authorities failed to effectively explain their actions against the Nigerian diplomatic agent.”
