FG Promises To Protect Nigerians In Ghana, Togo Against Attacks

Following the recent attacks on Nigerians in diaspora, the federal government has promised to protect every Nigerian living in Ghana and Togo.

The Chairman of the Nigerian Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, who made this known while addressing journalists after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential villa in Abuja, said the life of any Nigerian means a lot to the country.

Recall that just three days ago, some Ghanaians took laws into their hands and locked up the shops of some Nigerians.

Similarly, reports viral on the social media have shown Nigerians being attacked by some Togolese.

Dabiri-Erewa in reaction said, “Right now, we are dealing with the issue of attacking Nigerian traders in Ghana. We have the assurances of the President of Ghana through the high commission here and ours in Ghana that Nigerian traders will be protected.

“So, we are also going to be emphasising that the life of one Nigerian means a lot to us anywhere in the world.

“Of course we have the issue of Ghana, the professor whose appointment was terminated by his university because of the tape he released. Well, it turned out that he didn’t actually record, I mean that was a private meeting with Nigerians in Ghana, it was like a private discussion.

“And he also claimed that part of the tape was actually doctored. The matter is being looked into by the Nigeria High Commission in Ghana and I believed those matters will be resolved subsequently.

“And the issues happening around neighbouring countries like Togo – in Togo, we have Nigerians attacked.

“We have also seen the Togolese Ambassador and made it clear that the lives of Nigerians must be protected anywhere they are because we take care of others here and we deserve to be taken care of.

“If a Nigerian commits a crime, let him pay the penalty for it as a punishment, but you cannot penalise a nation and its citizens.

“So, we will be working more on that as we appealed to Nigerians to be good ambassadors wherever they find themselves,” she explained.

As at 2009, Nigerians living in Ghana, which has a total population of 23 million, were 1 million according to the Nigerian High Commission in Accra.

Togo, on the other has a population of over 8.1 million people, with a considerable high number of Nigerians living in the country.