The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission. has denied claims made in a viral video that staff of the Nigerian Embassy in Switzerland called the police to arrest Nigerian citizens.
A video had surfaced online on Tuesday showing a Nigerian man who claimed the embassy staff sent in police officers to arrest them when they visited the embassy for some documentation.
Also, in the video some Nigerians who were heard shouting, alleged that they had already made payments for their passports to be renewed but the embassy failed to fulfill the service they paid for.
Reacting, the Head of Media at NIDCOM, Abdulrahman Balogun, in a statement released on Wednesday denied the claims.
Balogun said Nigerians came into the facility and became unruly, ignoring the coronavirus protocols of having only 10 persons in a room.
According to him, the Embassy’s protection unit was invited to restore order following the development.
He also denied claims that police officers were invited to arrest the Nigerians
“Due to the coronavirus protocols, the Embassy in Bern, Switzerland is only allowed to attend to 10 applicants, but the Mission made it possible to attend to a maximum of 20 daily, spacing out the appointments.
“But on Tuesday, September 22, 2020, 64 Nigerians besieged the Nigerian mission in Bern.
“54 of them had no appointment for that day, didn’t make the mandatory online payment and majority of the applicants came from Italy and Spain.
“However, while the Nigerian Amb. 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.
“It is also important to note that the mission did not call the Police as it was 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 who had made their online payments were attended to while others were advised to follow the due process.
“We urge Nigerians abroad to be good ambassadors of Nigeria wherever they are and ensure they obey laws put in place.
“Also, the Nigerian mission in Bern is still attending to Nigerians who follow the process, pay online and book their appointments as stipulated,” the statement said.
