Indonesia apologizes to Nigeria for manhandling diplomat

The Indonesian government has apologised to Nigeria over the manhandling of a Nigerian Embassy staff by immigration officers.

Indonesian Ambassador to Nigeria, Usra Hendra Harahap, tendered the apology when he was summoned by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyema.

A statement by the Ministry stated that “the Ambassador explained what he understood what happened and apologised unreservedly on behalf of the Government of Indonesia.”

It added that the Ambassador “has confirmed that the immigration officials involved had since come to the Nigerian Embassy to apologize to the Ambassador and the diplomat concerned.”

The Ministry also revealed that the federal government had sent a “strong complain” to the Asian country, adding that the “incident is against international law and the Vienna Conventions governing Diplomatic and Consular Relations between States.”

Recall that a video making the round on social round showed when about three men wrestled a black man to the interior of a car, where they pinned his neck to the car seat.

In the video, the man could be heard screaming, “my neck, I can’t breath,” while his handlers kept the pressure on.

In the statement, the Ministry confirmed that the incident concerned a Nigerian Diplomat at his official quarters in Jakarta, on 7 August 2021.

Also on Tuesday (today), the minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, while briefing newsmen condemned the act and described it as against international laws.