Nigeria Demands Release of 42 Citizens Arrested in Mozambique

Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman and CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM)

Nigeria Demands Release of 42 Citizens Arrested in Mozambique

The Nigerian government has demanded the immediate release of 42 Nigerians reportedly arrested in Mozambique, describing the development as disturbing and unacceptable.

The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, condemned the arrests and called on Mozambican authorities to either release the detainees or formally charge them in accordance with the law.

The Nigerians were reportedly arrested during a security operation at a spare parts market in Mozambique where many foreign traders operate. According to reports, the affected Nigerians were allegedly singled out for arrest among traders of different nationalities, despite claims that many of them are legal residents of the country.

Dabiri-Erewa expressed concern that the detainees were arrested without any clear offences being stated by the authorities. She noted that the selective arrest of only Nigerian traders raises concerns about possible discrimination against Nigerian citizens living in the country.

She also revealed that reports indicated some of the detained Nigerians were allegedly assaulted during the operation and had their personal belongings confiscated, while a number of them have reportedly fallen ill and are in urgent need of medical attention.

The NiDCOM boss stressed that while Nigerians abroad must respect the laws of their host countries, they should not be subjected to arbitrary arrest or harassment.

“If they have committed any offence, they should be properly charged and arraigned before a competent court of law. Otherwise, they should be released immediately,” she said.

Dabiri-Erewa added that the commission is working with Nigeria’s diplomatic mission and relevant authorities to obtain full details of the incident and secure the release of the detained citizens.

She urged the Mozambican government to respect the rights and dignity of Nigerians living in the country and ensure that due legal process is followed.

The incident has sparked concerns among members of the Nigerian community in Mozambique, with calls for diplomatic engagement between both countries to prevent further harassment of Nigerians abroad.