Tobias Sylvester
Ndi-Igbo Germany (NIG), an umbrella body of Igbo people living in Germany, has tendered an unreserved apology to the former Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, over the weekend attack on him by members of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) in Nuremberg, Germany.
KanyiDaily had reported that Ike Ekweremadu was beaten up and publicly humiliated by suspected IPOB members in Nuremberg, Germany where he had attended the New Yam Festival of Igbo Community over the weekend.
The videos of the attack, posted by some members of the pro-biafra group who allegedly carried out the attack, have since gone viral.
A statement issued on Monday, 19th August 2019, by Uche Anichukwu, Special Assistant to Ekweremadu on Media, said the organisers of the Festival, the Igbo in Germany, have written a letter apologising for what happened.
According to him, the group said that any embarrassment to a leading light of Ndigbo like Ekweremadu was an embarrassment to the entire Igbo race and Nigeria, vowing to ensure that the law runs its full course.
The apology letter signed by NIG leader, Ogechukwu Nsofor, partly reads:
“We, Ndi-Igbo Germany, the umbrella/apex union of all Igbo unions operating in the Federal Republic of Germany are shocked and dismayed by the unprovoked, unwarranted and senseless attack unleashed on Senator Ike Ekweremadu in Nuremberg, Germany.
Meanwhile, the embassy of Nigeria in Berlin on Monday said the people behind the attack on Ekweremadu will be prosecuted under German laws.
Under German laws, physical assaults are punishable by fines or imprisonments of up to 10 years, depending on the gravity.
In a press statement shared with TheCable on Monday evening, the embassy of Nigeria in Berlin said the threat level of the event had been classified as “minimal” by the German police, hence the lack of security personnel at the event.
THE FULL TEXT OF THE EMBASSY’S STATEMENT READS:
The Embassy of Nigeria, Berlin, Germany wishes to react to viral videos of a vicious physical attack on the immediate past Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate and serving Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Ike Ekweremadu, by some members an illegal and terrorist entity named Indigenous Peoples of Biafra ( POB) in Nuremberg on 17th August 2019.
The attack happened at an event organised by Nigerians in Germany under the auspices of a socio-cultural organisation known as Ndigbo Germany, a registered entity in the Federal Republic of Germany. Invitations were extended to Nigerian dignitaries, including the Distinguished Senator and Nigeria’s Ambassador to Germany, His Excellency Yusuf Maitama Tuggar. The Nigerian Ambassador also honoured the invitation but arrived at the venue shortly after the incident. The organisers reportedly requested for police protection to ensure public order during the event but were told that the threat level was minimal and did not require stationing of any personnel at the venue before the incident.
The Embassy has requested a thorough investigation of this attack with a view to identifying the perpetrators and bringing them swiftly to justice in accordance with German law.
This would deter future acts of violence against officials of the Nigerian Government on German soil particularly against the backdrop of threats by the proscribed IPOB to carry out similar attacks on more Nigerian dignitaries, especially those from the South Eastern part of the country.
Embassy of Nigeria Berlin, Germany 19th August 2019
