A diplomatic row is presently brewing between Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo following harassment of Nigerian diplomats, burgling of the Nigerian Embassy in Kinshasa by a diplomatic police officer deployed to the Mission and the illegal seizure of a Nigerian diplomatic property in the choice area of Gombe, Kinshasa DR Congo.
The burgling of the Embassy and the illegal seizure of the Nigerian diplomatic property were carried out by officials of DR Congo, even as the government of the host country turns blind eyes to the atrocities.
This development is coming only two weeks after a Nigerian diplomat was brutalised by Indonesian Immigration officials in Jakarta.
Sadly, such disrespect has also been extended to Nigerians and Nigerian businesses in the DRC by some government agencies.
BusinessDay understands that Omar Suleiman, Nigerian Ambassador to the DR Congo, had made several attempts to get the authorities of the host country to investigate the desecration of the Embassy and return the seized property has been rebuffed by the government of that country.
Recall that in March 2020, there was an attempt to set the Ambassador’s residence ablaze in the middle of the night. The culprit was apprehended and handed over to the police, but to date nothing has come out from the police concerning the young man that was arrested or the event.
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Also, on 17th August 2020, the Embassy was burgled by one Ilunga Ndaye, a policeman deployed to guard the Chancery. The culprit was apprehended and handed over to the police, on arrival at the police station; he was freed by the police and it was claimed that he escaped.
“On 24th August 2020, one Congolese named Kadija Bakaja, accompanied by armed policemen, invaded 38/40 Avenue Lemera in Gombe, Kinshasa DR Congo. With the active connivance of the government of DR Congo, she illegally took over the property which is duly owned by Nigeria and she is still till this moment, one year after the invasion of the Nigerian property and the denigration of our sovereign integrity without any form of legal right of occupation,” said an official at the Nigerian Embassy, who does want his name in print.
The official further said: “Until date, the DR Congo government has neither returned the property they took over illegally nor taken steps to assure Mission that its properties in the country are safe from any future harassments and invasions. It is important to note that if immediate action is not taken at this time, the Nigerian government stands to lose another of its property to another Congolese.”
According to the official, Nigerians have been facing a lot of harassments and difficulties in performing in DR Congo. He said that one year after the Embassy was burgled on 17th August 2021 by officials of DR Congo without any headway on the matter.
Another official, who does not want his name in print for fear of reprisal by the host country, said: “There was also threat to the life of Charles Nkem Ibim, the then Head of Mission and the Consular Officer, Mr. Kareem, by the land grabbers for daring to stop them. Interestingly, the government of DR Congo has not deemed it fit to investigate any of these atrocities. Maybe they are waiting for another Jakarta episode in the DRC?”
“Furthermore, the Nigerian Ambassador to the DR Congo, Omar Suleiman, has done all within his diplomatic powers to recover the seized property and have the culprits prosecuted, yet all efforts so far, have proven abortive. The Federal Government will need to come to our aid immediately,” the official added.
