Gabriel
The
family of a Nigerian student, Gabriel Soriwei, who was killed in the
North Cyprus city of Nicosia, has cried out to the Federal Government to
assist the family in getting justice for the slain boy.
Gabriel, 20, a first year student of
Electrical/Electronic Engineering at the Cyprus International
University, Nicosia, in the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus, was
knocked down by a female driver on July 13, 2013.
As a result of the impact of the accident, he fell into a coma and eventually died on September 7, 2013.
On September 12, the Cyprus International University authorities flew his remains via Turkish Airline to Nigeria as a cargo.
His father, Patrick Soriwei, who had
petitioned President Goodluck Jonathan, the National Assembly and the
National Human Rights Commission, said while the family had accepted the
reality of the painful loss of their child, his death raised some
issues about the value placed on the life of Nigerians outside the
shores of the country.
The grieving father said, “First,
neither the Cyprus International University nor the family of the woman,
who drove the car that killed Gabriel, has found it necessary to at
least write to the family to “condole with us on the death of this young
man, who until his death, was contributing to the economy of Cyprus by
paying school fees as a foreign student.
“I also find it unjust that the Cyprus
authorities are hiding the identity of the woman, who killed our child,
from us. The Cyprus police have insisted that it is the practice to
ensure that such a person was shielded from the family of the victim.”
The bereaved father said he had been
informed during a visit to Nicosia by the Turkish police that the female
driver had lost control of the vehicle, which knocked down Gabriel.
Investigations had revealed that she was under the influence of alcohol
at the time.
The woman was said to have been detained
for three days before she was released while no further action had been
taken on the case by the Turkish authorities since the woman was
released.
The university, which reportedly plays
host to about 700 Nigerian students, has allegedly not shown any
interest in the case. Despite several entreaties by the family to the
school authorities, Gabriel’s belongings have yet to be sent to Nigeria.
The father added, “Although, the
Nigerian Embassy in Cyprus is aware of the incident, it does not seem to
see the need to defend the rights of Nigerians there as a priority.
“The best the Nigerian Mission in Ankara
has done was to send one Uche to the university to find out the cause
of the death. The Mission has not rendered the necessary assistance in
getting the police to write a report on his death. This delay in writing
this report, we believe, is inspired by a plot to subvert the process
of justice in this matter.
“We intend to pursue this matter to a
logical conclusion. We also urge the Federal Government and all
Nigerians of good conscience to come to our aid in our search for
justice. The life of a Nigerian child should be treated more decently
than that of a stray animal.”
When contacted, the Spokesperson of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Ogbole Ahmedu-Ode said he could not
comment on the issue because, “It has yet to be brought to my
attention.”
punch
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