Indonesian envoy to Nigeria, Dr Usra Harahap, has given a blow-by-blow account of why a Nigerian diplomatic agent, Mr. Abdulrrahman Ibrahim, was assaulted by the East Asian country’s immigration officials on August 7
Recall that a video which went viral showed Ibrahim being manhandled in a car by some Indonesian immigration officials in Jakarta.
The treatment meted out to the diplomat caused a diplomatic row between Nigeria and Indonesia with the federal government recalling its envoy, Mr. Mohammed Ogar for consultation and threatening a review of the bilateral relations between the two countries.
At a meeting with the minister of foreign affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyema in Abuja, Harahap alleged that Ibrahim started the aggression when he elbowed one of the immigration officials identified as Mr. Laode Hauzan Baidi while travelling in a car to a South Jakarta immigration office.
He stated that the immigration officers from South Jakarta were carrying out surveillance on foreigners when they asked Ibrahim for identification but the diplomat allegedly refused to identify himself or tender his passport.
“By that time, they met with Mr. Ibrahim, and politely requested him to show his travel document. He answered that his passport was in his room.
“Then the officer asked again, ‘Can we see your travel document to check the residence permit and if there are no problems with the document, so you may continue your activities
“Mr. Ibrahim was not willing to show his passport and said to the officer, ‘you will know who really I am and be careful on that.
“Instead of showing his identity card, Mr. Ibrahim was angry and said, ‘Just arrest me and you will regret to know who really I am.’
“The officer said, ‘We will not detain you further sir, if you can show us your identity card.’ Then Mr. Ibrahim said, ‘Where is your car, I’ll come to your office.’
“On the way to the immigration office in South Jakarta, several incidents happened. Mr. Ibrahim elbowed the immigration officer, Mr. Laode Hauzan Baidi, who was sitting next to him until Mr. Laode’s lip was bleeding.
“This led to other officers restraining him from attacking another officer during the trip,” he said.
He said Ibrahim later showed his identity card.
Harahap further said the issue was resolved when Ogar went to the South Jakarta Immigration Office together with the staff and his police guard from the directorate of security of vital objects of police of the Greater Jakarta Metro Area.
Besides, he said the injured officer, Baidi, had lodged a complaint about the attack on him but did not process it further because the matter had been resolved.
In the mean time, the Association of Retired Career Ambassadors of Nigeria (ARCAN) has condemned the attack on the diplomatic agent and called for a “robust response from the federal government of Nigeria through the application of measures that may include a complete reassessment of Nigeria’s diplomatic relations with Indonesia.”
“The actions of the Indonesian officials represent a modern-day display of gangsterism and inhuman behaviour towards a fellow human being.
“ARCAN rejects the statement credited to the head of the regional office of the ministry of law and human rights of Indonesia which makes no sense and an obvious attempt to cover up the barbaric action of the immigration officials, and a clear indication of the unacceptable manner foreigners, legal or illegal, are treated in the country,” ARCAN added.
