Official warns of retaliation on 1.2 m Indians in Nigeria
TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: The government crackdown on Nigerian nationals staying illegally in Goa threatened to turn into a full blown diplomatic row on Monday with a Nigerian High Commission official from New Delhi who visited Parra and later met the state DGP and other state officials on the second day of his visit forcefully stating that the “purge” of Nigerians needed to end “within 24 hours”. He apparently also made a reference to the possible predicament of the nearly 1.2 million Indians residing in Nigeria who would face similar retaliatory action if Nigerian nationals in Goa are “targeted” or “put out on the streets”.
Jacob Nwadidia, Nigerian consular official, said the Parra Panchayat’s proposed blanket resolution against Nigerians scheduled to come up today “has to be withdrawn within 24 hours”.
“If you have heard of the order of the authorities, especially Michael Lobo who is the MLA of Calangute, I am giving him 24 hours from tonight to cancel his ‘order’ that Nigerians should be thrown out on to the streets. If he does not cancel (it), I am telling you that hundreds of thousands of Indians will be thrown out on the streets in Nigeria. And I’m serious about it. India is five hours ahead of Nigeria. There is still enough time to reach my headquarters and tell the Nigerian government that Nigerians in Goa have been thrown out on the street,” he said.
“If Michael Lobo does not cancel that ‘order’ I am telling you that news will come that Indians in Nigeria have been thrown out on the street. That’s what I’m telling you and I mean what I’ve said,” he told Herald. Referring to the ongoing police verification drive in Parra and surrounding areas, he added: “Police should stop from going house to house to eject and evict Nigerians. If that does not stop in 24 hours then Indians should bear responsibility for what happens in Nigeria,” he said.
Earlier on Monday, police began a verification drive of all Nigerians staying in Goa and the Village Panchayat of Parra decided to take up on Tuesday a resolution not to host Nigerians any more in the village on account of their recent blockade of the highway and alleged involvement in illegal activities.
“There are only 50,000 Nigerians in India but over one million Indians live in Nigeria. Several thousand Indians will be on the streets if forcible eviction of Nigerians in Goa does not stop,” Jacob Nwadidia is reported to have said.
