An anonymous victim, who spoke to Vanguard on Sunday, described the hardships they faced and called for urgent action.
According to him, protests have been staged against police brutality, including demonstrations directed at the Nigerian Embassy in India, but to no avail.
He noted that if he and his counterparts were granted bail and transportation back, they would gladly accept the offer and pleaded with the Nigerian government to come to their aid.
He said, “What we Nigerians are facing right here in India is so terrible. When any Indian police officer holds you, they will first collect your phone and search it before asking you to call your people to send money before they will free you.
“If you refuse to pay the money they request, they will send you to jail by implicating you with drugs, or if you’re lucky enough, they will dump you in their deportation camp.
“Some of our Nigerian brothers work with them to extort money from us. Our Nigerian embassy is not doing anything about this issue; that’s why it keeps on happening.
“But up till now, nothing has changed. It keeps getting worse day by day. This has been going on for years.”
He said, “I believe he was beaten to death. The police refuse to release the CCTV footage. In a video, the back of his head was still bleeding. He was killed on Tuesday, June 10th, and up till now, nothing has happened.
“These are the people that killed him, and up till now, the Indian police have not arrested them or released the footage showing what happened. There were bruises on his back; I believe they killed him with bricks.”
When asked what he thought transpired during the incident, he said, “I am not sure what happened.”
He continued, “Their people always get away with it. This is not the first time such a thing has happened, or even the second. Instead of the police pursuing the suspects who killed our brother, they arrested up to 12 Nigerian citizens after the incident.”
He also highlighted the grim conditions in deportation camps, “The worst part is that they don’t want us to go back to our country. If they really wanted us to leave, they would reduce the fees for overstaying. So many people are dying in their deportation camps because they cannot afford the money, including boys, girls, and even children.”
He shared his own painful ordeal, “I was once a victim, last year in September. I paid almost one lakh rupees to be released. Everything they’re doing is illegal, and they are using it to extort money from us.”
He explained the cycle of abuse, “If they arrest you, they will bill you. When you refuse to pay, they dump you in deportation or plant drugs on you so you will suffer in jail. Sometimes they will free you, but maybe the next time you’re unlucky and caught again, you still have to pay.
“There are some Nigerians working with them by giving information. They’re using us to make money. I have paid more than four times. Now I have nothing left, I sold my land in Nigeria to gain my freedom.”
Asked if he was ready to return home, his answer was clear, “Yes, but I don’t have the money to pay for overstaying. If the government can help us with a free flight, I will gladly come back home. I have sold everything I have just to gain my freedom because I don’t want to go to jail or be dumped in deportation camps. The conditions are horrible there, you can get sick easily. I wouldn’t wish those jails or camps on my worst enemy.”
When asked about visa reissuance or consular help from the Nigerian Embassy in India, said, “I don’t know.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through its spokesperson Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, said “The High Commission of Nigeria in New Delhi is aware of the death, and they are working closely with the leadership of the Nigerian community and relevant security agencies to ascertain what transpired.”
Speaking to the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocol, Abdulrahman Balogun, said there has been no new case reported to NIDCOM or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He said, “However, NIDCOM is aware of a few cases in the past, and extensive investigations have been ordered by the Nigerian High Commission in India. NIDCOM will work with the embassy to ensure investigations are thorough.
“We hereby reiterate that the Federal Government of Nigeria will not tolerate unjust, unfair maltreatment of any Nigerian, while we urge Nigerians to be of good behaviour wherever they find themselves.
“The new case you are referring to will definitely be looked into, and necessary diplomatic action will be taken,” he noted.
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