They have been staying in the state illegally, they came in as fake students, they are involved in peddling of narcotics and have been causing a nuisance in the peaceful villages around the coastal belt. These are some of the grievances against the Nigerians who are in Goa illegally, which is due to the negligence of state authorities.
The problem is now with the Africans, but in the past, the state has faced issues with Russians and the Israelis as well. This is a changing face of tourism in Goa.
So far, the police have failed to initiate proper remedial action against incidents involving Nigerians. Their activities are limited to the coast of North Goa in the jurisdictions of police stations at Pernem, Anjuna, It isn’t only cases of peddling, the Africans are also involved in cases of rape and assault in the coastal belt. A recent rape case has caused a stir amongst locals and the Africans have begun to feel the heat.
With their illegal activity now exposed, the Nigerians have moved further north and have set up shop in Pernem. Their activity started decades ago in Candolim and moved north every time they faced heat from the locals. From Candolim, they shifted to Parra, then to Siolim, followed by Morjim, Mandrem, Arambol and Keri and are now settling in the remotest villages.
Their day usually begins in the evening till the early hours of the morning along the coastal belt. They roam on hired scooters, live in rental houses rented to them by locals and it is ironic that locals complain about them. In a bid to earn a quick buck, locals readily rent out their vacant properties to them, without understanding the consequences.
There are now resolutions in place at the local coastal panchayats directing them not to give out places to Nigerians, but some locals go under the radar and blatantly ignore this.
Currently, Nigerians are residing in small pockets of Arambol, Mandrem, Chapora, Parra and Anjuna. They have scattered themselves systematically across the land. It has also been observed that it is not only the Nigerians, but also some locals who are into the narcotics trade. A restaurant owner informed Herald that some of the locals who deal with drugs are at the forefront of the agitation against the Africans.“If the Nigerians enter any area along the coast, then the business of the locals is hampered as their rates are much cheaper,” sources said. The Nigerians are now operating from Pernem and Chapora and the beach stretches of Anjuna, Vagator, Mandrem, Arambol and Calangute.
Tourists are the main targets for the Nigerians. During the monsoons, when the influx of tourists in the state is low, business slows down and hence villagers are living in fear about thefts in the locality. Last year, during the monsoons, there were a spate of thefts in Morjim and Mandrem.
Locals have urged the police to increase patrolling during the off season in order to curb the menace.
As per official figures, the Goa Police in the years 2014 and 2015 have arrested 32 Nigerians under the NDPS Act.
Some locals alleged that Nigerians roam freely with weapons like knives and daggers, creating more panic. Complaints have been registered with the police and the local panchayat to initiate action but nothing has been moved forward to curb the issue.
Suresh Kerkar, a resident of Paliem in Arambol said, “Many Nigerians rented houses in the village and in the night, they are joined by their comrades and create a nuisance in the locality.”
Another incident occurred at Agarwada, where Nigerians would flock till early morning at a bar and restaurant and destroy the peace of the area, like they used to do in Parra.
Locals also raised the issue in the gram sabha and put up a resolution to revoke the panchayat NOC to the bar and restaurant. However, there was no progress on the matter.
They are clearly guests who are unwelcome, but they have barged in through the door left open and refuse to get out. But the alarming truth is, that the might of the Goa government and police are not able to evict them from our land, which they are violating.
