VIBHA VERMA
PANJIM: Notwithstanding serious criminal charges against them, some Nigerian nationals, fearlessly continue their criminal activities and challenge the Goa Police.
A Herald investigation revealed that at least 10 of the 51 Nigerians and one Ghanaian booked for creating a ruckus on Porvorim NH on October 31, 2013, were involved in drug-related activities after that date. There were some who face other charges, besides rioting and attempted murder, at various police stations in Goa.
Most of the 52 Africans, of the over 200 who came on the streets of Porvorim on that day, and were arrested, continue to freely roam around the coastal belt with a photo-copy of the police FIR. This FIR is unarguably their passport and visa, a document that allows them to continue staying in the country.
“Their (most Africans) modus operandi is to commit a crime. They want cases to be registered and they like court formalities because they get a chance to stay on even without a passport or visa. However, some of them have abruptly left Goa. We are nonetheless looking out for them taking the help of FRRO Goa and Nigerian Embassy,” a senior police officer said.
The officer conceded that nearly all of those arrested in the 2013 incident have criminal backgrounds.
While the police claim they are helpless as the accused are needed for investigation and thereafter for trial, some have not only been freed even before the court could frame charges, a few others were caught for alleged drug trafficking.
Among those who were arrested under different sections of the NDPS Act are Choka Onyeawasi, Kingsley Nnanna Chinyeroe (Chinyere), John Kings Euchenna, Ifeanyi Pascal Obi, Chuks, Egbo, Chiguizie Ozoemeiya Togo, Ebuka Chiuba Obiekwe, Joseph Ifeanyi Ozoemena, John Ben Okeke and Obasi Francis Azah. There were caught for offenses either by the local police station or anti narcotics cell between 2014 and 2017. Some of them were even caught more than once for the offense.
Many others were arrested for forged visa/passport, overstaying and drug trafficking prior to the incident.
It is not surprising that many of those arrested in 2013 did not possess passports and out of the 51 Nigerians, 38 were allegedly found without any documents while 12 produced photocopies of their passports and only one could produce his original travel documents.
