The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has urged Nigerian dignitaries to notify it about their impending foreign travel schedules to enable it “make adequate preparation” for their safety.
The travel advisory is coming four days after a former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, was attacked at the 2nd Annual Igbo Cultural Festival in Nuremberg, Germany.
Ekweremadu’s attackers, members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), on Tuesday, threatened to continue attacking prominent Igbo leaders to demonstrate their anger over age long betrayal of Ndigbo by some greedy leaders.
A statement signed by the ministry’s spokesperson, Ferdinand Nwonye, on Wednesday stated that its travel advisory was not to monitor the activities of dignitaries but to enable it thoroughly scrutinize the security status of the organisations inviting them.
It read: “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned in the strongest terms the attack on former Deputy Senate President, Dr Ike Ekweremadu, who was attending the 2nd Annual Igbo Cultural Festival as a Speaker and special guest of honour at an event organised by the Ndi-Igbo Community in Nuremberg, Germany.”
“The Ministry wishes to empathize with the Distinguished Senator, as well as remind all dignitaries to endeavor to bring to the notice of the Ministry and Missions their impending travel schedules to enable the Ministry thoroughly scrutinize the security status of the organisations inviting them for the meeting, and to make adequate preparation, as well as concrete steps to ensure that host law enforcement agencies are on hand to guarantee their comprehensive security.”
“This advice is not to monitor their activities but to ensure their safety. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to assure Nigerians that Government will work with relevant authorities in Germany to ensure that the perpetrators of the dastardly act are brought to book, to serve as deterrence to others.”
