The Chairperson of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has called for fair treatment of Nigerians living abroad, warning against blaming the entire country for crimes committed by a few individuals.
Speaking in an interview on Arise News, Dabiri-Erewa reacted to the recent anti-Nigerian protests in Ghana, where some locals carried placards demanding the deportation of Nigerians over alleged criminal activities.
She said it was wrong to generalise, urging host countries to deal with offenders individually and transparently.
“When a few Nigerians commit crimes, they should be punished. But it is wrong to say all Nigerians are criminals,” she said.
She also recalled a case in Indonesia where 21 Nigerians were on death row. According to her, 20 of them were from one state in the South East, while one was from Edo State. She said the Nigerian government intervened, and though four were executed, one was saved through legal efforts.
Dabiri-Erewa said the actions of a few should not define the image of over 200 million Nigerians, many of whom are law-abiding and doing well abroad.
“There are thousands of Nigerians making positive contributions in different countries. Unfortunately, it’s only the bad news that trends,” she said.
She also noted that the Nigerian Embassy in Ghana has been active in addressing concerns and supporting Nigerians in the country.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has appealed for calm, saying there is no cause for alarm. Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Ghana, Ambassador Demola, also explained that the protests were not targeted at all Nigerians, but at individuals suspected of criminal activities.
The incident has reminded many of the 1983 mass deportation of Ghanaians from Nigeria under former President Shehu Shagari, a significant event in the history of West African relations.
