Nigerians resident in Botswana have appealed to President
Goodluck Jonathan to intervene over what they described
as a clear case of hatred and racism against them.
The group, which raised alarm over recent developments in
the country said there was serious plan to deport majority
of Nigerians from Botswana.
According to one of them, Lawrence Bassey, who also
claimed to be under deportation threat, “What we
experienced here in Botswana from Thursday to Friday last
week was very tragic and devastating. Many law-abiding
Nigeriams with official permits doing their legitimate
businesses here in Botswana were massively arrested,
beaten, detained and were refused visit by their relations.
“The sick ones among them were denied access to
medication and their wives were not allowed to see them
hence no food and care. Most disturbing is the fact that the
reason for their arrest has not been disclosed to them up till
the time of sending this mail (Monday) and some people
who went to ask the authorities what the problem is were
also detained”.
He further alleged that some Nigerians were picked up from
their business places, on the road, in their cars while driving
and even to the extent that the security agents (DIS)
bumped their cars to get them arrested.
He said, “Another gentleman was picked up where he was
buying air time simply because he did not speak Seswana.
The big boss of the security agency was involved and
personally decided who should be put in which prison and
ordering the beating of any person who ask what he has
done”.
He added that the current dehumanizing treatments being
meted to Nigerians in Botswana “has nothing to do with one
having resident permit or trading license but rather a clear
demonstration of arrogance and deep rooted hatred for
Nigerians by Lieutenant General Seretse Khama Ian Khama
administration”.
Bassey quoted one Mr. Kosi, a Botswana security chief as
telling the Nigerian detainees that ‘Botswana does not want
you Nigerians here; what we are doing is operation clean up
Nigerians. If your home country cannot take care of you, it
is your business not ours, so you guys must leave’.
He further noted that “Majority of the people in detention
have valid permit issued to them by the immigration but
unfortunately they turned around to say that it is not valid
because the company is not exiting; the question now is do
the Botswana Immigration issue permit to people who are
not working? Or to companies which do not exist?
“We are asking the Nigerian government to please ask all
Nigerians in Botswana to please vacate the country
immediately because of the high level of hatred being
shown to her citizens at al levels. The development has
become very alarming and it is clear that our safety can no
longer be guaranteed.
“If possible the Nigerian Embassy should be closed
because the relationship between the two countries has
broken down. Nigeria should stop issuing visa to the people
of Botswana, not less than 50 – 70 Botswana citizens come
to Nigeria every month but how many Nigerians come here?
“Those who apply for Botswana are being subjected to a
serious check only to be denied straight away. Even
Nigerian government officials are treated the same way as
there is no exception.
“Before now Nigerian-owend businesses have been
subjected to an untold routine check three to four times
every week asking for permit, license, and asking silly
questions like how many Nigerians are working here?, how
many Nigerians do come here? Where are they resident? If
you are courageous to ask them why they are doing this,
they will tell you that they don’t want you Nigerians again”.
Mr. Rasaq Lawal, a staff of Nigerian Embassy in Botswana
was also reported to have said that “the Nigerian
Ambassador here is currently on home leave and Mrs. Obla
who is acting for him will be in the best position to answer
your questions but being a staff of the embassy I can tell
you the much I know.
“We received the report of the arrest of some Nigerians here
on Saturday morning and we went there immediately to
meet with the authorities but we were not allowed to see the
people arrested.
“We were referred to the Assistant Commissioner of Police
who later granted us access to the people. We had access to
discuss with them and they said they did nothing to warrant
their arrest and that they have all necessary permits to
reside in the country.
“We made the Botswana government to know that what they
did is against international norms and demanded that our
citizens should be released but the authorities declined. We
went there at 8 am and we were on the matter until 4pm
trying to persuade them to release our people but all to no
avail.
“They are relying on municipal law which according to their
arguments, it seems they don’t know the convention that
binds us (Nigeria and Botswana). The convention says
when ever any of our citizens is arrested the Ambassador
should be notified within 24 hours but they have failed to
comply.
“Our citizens are saying that they were detained without
water and food for days and we have let the authorities
know that it is wrong for our citizens to be detained without
water more than 30 minutes except if the person is fasting.
They don’t seem to understand the implication of what they
are doing.
“However, we wrote them officially Monday to let them
know that what they are doing is wrong because the
affected persons have genuine resident permit.
“The Acting High Commissioner wrote the immigration
requesting to meet with him on the issue Monday but all to
no avail, we haven’t got from them officially. We learnt,
though unofficially, that the authorities made a similar
arrest of China citizens last week but we don’t have details.
We won’t relent in defending the interest our people here.
We have to continue with the struggle”.
“We counted 27 Nigerians in detention that Saturday and
most of them are from Imo and Edo, Delta and Rivers
States, nobody from South West and Northern states”, he
added.
http://dailypost.com.ng/2013/08/13/botswana-based-
nigerians-seek-president-jonathans-intervention-over-mass-
deportation/
www.codewit.com/africa/11031-botswana-based-nigerians-
seek-president-jonathan-s-intervention-over-mass-
deportation
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