Nigerian Businessmen in Bangladesh beneath assault from Police, Writes Nigerian Authorities to rescue them

Nigerians businessmen in Bangladesh, a rustic in South Asia, have raised the alarm over “unlawful arrest”.

In a letter despatched to Newsmen, Gideon Onyeoma, a consultant of the Nigeria Group Affiliation in Bangladesh (NCAB), mentioned safety operatives within the nation have illegally arrested over 70 Nigerians since June.

He added that the arrested individuals have neither been granted bail nor charged to court docket.

Onyeoma defined that a number of the arrested individuals had travelled to Bangladesh to buy clothes supplies however had been unable to return to Nigeria because of the coronavirus pandemic which led to a lockdown.

“For the reason that month of June 2020, greater than seventy Nigerians have been arrested by the safety operatives in Bangladesh with no proof and with no correct probability for bail,” the letter learn.

“Within the month of July 2020, the police operatives went to arrest a Nigerian suspect and compelled him to take them to the place many Nigerians stay. After taking them to the agency of a Nigerian across the space, pondering that he will probably be saved, thy nonetheless didn’t launch him. They arrested all of the 15 males they discovered within the workplace.

“These males all got here from Nigeria legally to Bangladesh earlier in 2020, earlier than the pandemic began, to purchase clothes merchandise to be despatched dwelling however due to the pandemic and the lockdown they couldn’t journey again.”

The affiliation mentioned the Bangladesh police made subsequent arrests of Nigerians, together with Frank Jacob, the neighborhood’s president.

The arrested particular person are mentioned to be in jail whereas their passports have been seized over allegations of false Bangladesh visas.

“It is vitally laborious for Nigerians to resume or lengthen their visas in Bangladesh earlier than or in the direction of the expiration of their visas, however it’s not the identical case for different nationals,” the letter learn.

“To make issues worse, at any time when our persons are arrested, the police will invite the media homes (print and digital), they may take photos and movies of the suspects and begin displaying and writing that they’re criminals even when the court docket has not made any pronouncement. That is the largest menace to our safety within the land.

“When that’s carried out, you mechanically lose many issues like your residence and every little thing inside and your workplace, then you’ll face assaults by the folks on the road.

“The Nigerians who’ve registered enterprise are shedding it step by step. The neighborhood president’s restaurant has been branded as a gathering level for Nigerians, and this made his landlord to lock up the place for months, accruing a lot of losses for the proprietor.”

The Nigerian neighborhood referred to as on the federal authorities to evaluate its relationship with the South Asian nation and provoke actions in protection of its residents.

When contacted AbdulRahman Balogun, spokesman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Fee (NIDCOM), advised Newsmen that he’s not conscious of the state of affairs in Bangladesh.

“I’m not conscious of it till I see a duplicate of that letter. Most occasions, these letters go to chairman and our authorized unit to research. Perhaps I’ll examine tomorrow,” he mentioned.

“I can’t remember if I haven’t seen a letter complaining about it. I’m not conscious.”