Malaysian Police Harassing Nigerians, CSO calls for parliament Intervention
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Femi Awojobi, Ekiti
The Coalition of Civil Society Groups has raised the alarm over alleged raid, harassment, intimidation and molestation of Nigerians living in Malaysia, by the Malaysian Police. It alleged that the Malaysian police were usually setting up Nigerians living in Malaysia and getting them to face death sentences for offences not committed by them, if they failed to pay bribe.
The convener of the coalition, Sunday Attah, alleged that a top official at the Nigerian High Commission had been compromised and failed to use diplomatic ties between the two countries to save those facing death sentences on trumped-up charges.
At the press briefing were executive secretary, Centre for Civil Justice, Isaac Ikpa; representative of Nigerian Youth Parliament, Ibrahim Dallah; Abuja Liaison Officer of Northern Youth Council, Yusuf Yahuza.
Specifically, Attah cited the case of a Nigerian, Alowonle Gilbert, who he said was accused of killing a Malaysian Nurse, Miss Siti Kharina, by the Malaysian police.
“The Commission had promised to follow up with the case by getting a lawyer that would defend Alowonle Oluwajuwon Gilbert at the Sepang Court Selangor, Malaysia, but to our greatest surprise, the Nigerian High Commission didn’t show up, no attorney to stand for Gilbert when the case was mentioned at the Court, which meant that his fate lay at the mercy of the Judge.
“As we speak, the young man is on a crossroad of death sentence or life imprisonment, we have so many of similar and pending issues in Malaysia, despite that, the Commission looks the other way.
“Some activities of the said embassy official since assumption at Nigerian embassy in Malaysia have, in no small measure, bastardised the renewed image of Nigeria that President Muhammadu Buhari is working hard to build, both in our country, Nigeria and globally,” he lamented.
Attah called on the Nigerian Government and President Muhammadu Buhari to caution the Nigeria High Commissioner and the staff of the Nigeria High Commission in the Asian Countries, especially Malaysia, from conniving with the police to molest Nigerians in their various countries where they are being sent for diplomatic missions”.