Attack on Nigerian Embassy in Ghana causes uproar
Monday June 22 2020
Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, says the country is in talks with Ghanaian authorities over demolitions at its High Commission in Accra. PHOTO | FILE | AFP
Abuja,
The Nigerian government has condemned the Friday night attack on its High Commission in Ghana, with authorities describing it as an “act of aggression”.
A bulldozer invaded the Diplomatic Premises of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in Accra, Ghana, and demolished buildings on the night of June 19, 2020.
In a strong warning, Nigeria’s House of Representatives said that Ghana must face the consequences of its actions and inactions.
The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, Mr Yusuf Buba, said the demolition infringed on the international rights of Nigeria. He described it as an invasion of Nigeria’s sovereignty and an external aggression on the Nigerian state.
He said it violates conventions and treaties on diplomatic relations between both countries.
Mr Buba said Nigeria has all the legal titles and certifications of the property, including the site plan, payment receipts and allocation papers from Ghanaian authorities.
“As a Parliament, we stand resolute to do everything within our powers to review, re-appraise and re-examine the relationship of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Republic of Ghana,” he said. “We shall compel Ghana to answer for this act of gross violation and abuse of the immunities of the Nigeria mission and its staff. We cannot let this one pass silently in the name of diplomacy.”
Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, said the country is in talks with Ghanaian authorities to urgently bring the perpetrators to book.
“We demand urgent action to find the perpetrators and provide adequate protection for Nigerians and their properties in Ghana,” he said.
Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration in a statement confirmed that unidentified individuals breached the premises of the Nigerian High Commission last Friday at about 10.30pm and demolished property under construction.
“The Ministry views with concern this development which is a breach of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (VCDR, 1961). Investigations are ongoing to unravel the facts of the matter and bring the perpetrators to book,” the statement says. “Meanwhile, the Ghanaian government has beefed up security at the said facility and the situation is under control.”