The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) has condemned what it described as the xenophobic arrest of 42 Nigerians in Mozambique and demanded their immediate release.
The chairman/CEO of the commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, expressed concern that the Nigerians were allegedly arrested and detained without any formal charges levelled against them by the Mozambican authorities.
In a statement issued in Abuja and signed by the commission’s spokesperson, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, Dabiri-Erewa said it was disturbing to learn that only Nigerians were reportedly singled out and handpicked for arrest during the operation.
She stressed that if any of the affected individuals had committed an offence, the appropriate step should be to arraign them before a court of law rather than detain them without charges.
Dabiri-Erewa therefore urged the authorities in Mozambique to either release the detained Nigerians immediately or allow the law to take its proper course in line with international standards of justice and due process.
According to reports, the Nigerians were specifically singled out and arrested at a spare parts market, out of all the traders and individuals present in the market, without any allegations or explanations on why they were detained.
The Nigerians arrested have been confirmed to be legal residents, and the Attorney General is reportedly not aware of any charges against them.
and beThey were allegedly beaten, their personal belongings stolen, and many of them are said to have fallen sick and in need of medical attention.
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