The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) has denied claims that the Nigerian Embassy in Switzerland called police on some Nigerians who were at the Embassy to collect their passports.
NIDCOM in a statement signed on Wednesday by its spokesperson, Abdurrahman Balogun, said the Embassy instead invited officials of the Embassy Protection Unit to bring order to the situation which was already turning rowdy.
“The mission did not call the Police as erroneously stated in the video but invited the Embassy Protection Unit to bring calm and decorum back to the hall.
“The men of the Embassy protection unit addressed them and those on appointment as well as those who had made their online payments were attended to while others were advised to follow the due process, with an assurance that everyone will be attended to as long as the rules were followed,” the statement read in part.
While explaining further the circumstances which led to the commotion in the viral video, NIDCOM said 64 Nigerians besieged the mission on that day, whereas the Embassy could only attend to a maximum of 20 persons at a time in line with the COVID-19 protocols.
Although a voice could be heard in the viral video alleging that the Swiss police were called to arrest the Nigerians who were at the embassy to collect their passports, NIDCOM insists no Nigerian was arrested.
“In view of the above video it is imperative to state the facts. In line with Covid-19 protocols, the Embassy in Bern. Switzerland is only allowed to attend to 10 applicants, however, the Mission made it possible to attend to a maximum of 20 daily, spacing out the appointments.
“But on this day, 64 Nigerians besieged the Nigerian mission in Bern. Only 10 of them were on the scheduled appointments.
“54 of them had no appointment for that day and had not made the mandatory online payment and the majority of the applicants came from Italy and Spain with no appointment with no online payment.
“While the Nigerian Ambassador Baba Madagu was addressing them, they barged in through the front door and overcrowded a hall that was meant to receive only 10 people at a time,” the statement read in part.
It, therefore, appealed to Nigerians abroad to be good ambassadors of Nigeria wherever they are and obey laws put in place.
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