The Indonesian Government has defended the assault on a Nigerian Diplomat by Indonesian immigration officials in Jakarta on August 7th.
The Editor Nigeria recalls that a viral video of a Nigerian diplomat, Abdurrahman Ibrahim, being rough-handled by Indonesian immigration officials, had surfaced online earlier.
The diplomatic agent was said to have been brutally assaulted after the officers requested his identification documents which he could not produce.
The video generated a massive outcry in the country, prompting Nigeria to threaten to review its relationship with the country.
Speaking on the matter on Wednesday to The PUNCH, the Indonesian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Usra Harahap, said the Nigerian diplomat assaulted the immigration officials first.
He said: “By that time, they met with Mr Ibrahim and politely requested him to show his travel document. He answered that his passport was in his room.”
“Then the officer asked again, ‘Can we see your travel document to check the residence permit and if there are no problems with the document, so you may continue your activities. Mr Ibrahim was not willing to show his passport and said to the officer, ‘you will know who really I am and be careful on that.
“Instead of showing his identity card, Mr Ibrahim was angry and said, ‘Just arrest me and you will regret to know who really I am.’
“The officer said, ‘We will not detain you, further sir if you can show us your identity card.’ Then Mr Ibrahim said, ‘Where is your car, I’ll come to your office.’
“On the way to the immigration office in South Jakarta, several incidents happened. Mr Ibrahim elbowed the immigration officer, Mr Laode Hauzan Baidi, who was sitting next to him until Mr Laode’s lip was bleeding.”
“This led to other officers restraining him from attacking another officer during the trip.
“He later showed his identity card. He revealed that the issues was resolved when the Nigerian High Commissioner to Indonesia arrived at the South Jakarta Immigration Office.”
This news platform reports that the Nigerian ambassador to Indonesia, Usman Ogar, and Ibrahim are on their way to Nigeria at the time of filing this report.
