NIGERIA, INDIA RIFT UNDER CONTROL - OFFICIAL

16 December 2013

The seeming diplomatic rift between Nigeria and India over the killing of 35-year-old Simeon Obodo, a Nigerian in India in October, is now "under control," a top official in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said.

Mr Abdulazeez Dankano, the Director, Consular and Immigration Services, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.

Dankano said he was part of a Federal Government delegation that visited India three weeks ago, to conclude negotiations on three agreements affecting the welfare of Nigerians in that country.

According to him, the agreements include Transfer of Sentenced Persons, Extradition Treaty and Mutual Legal Assistance.
"Things are under control for now; our visit was one of the measures taken to address these issues in the long run.

Things happen but how you manage them is what determines the relationship and maturity of the two countries," he said.
Dankano, who described the murder of Obodo in Gao village in India as unfortunate, said India had tendered apology on the issue.

"They are helping in the investigations and all the Nigerians arrested after the protests that followed the killing have been released.

"The Indians who were arrested in connection with the incident are undergoing investigation and I do not know if they have been charged.

"Our mission in India is monitoring the situation,’’ he said.
On the issue of compensation for the family of the deceased, the official said: ``it is a legal issue that will be determined by the court.’’

"However, Indians are in full consultation with our mission and during my visit, I had a meeting with officials of the Ministry of External Affairs there and they assured us of their cooperation.

"There is no way we can bring the life back, but they assured us that they would do everything possible to minimise the pain.’’

NAN reports that Obodo’s body, which arrived in the country on Dec. 14, has been deposited in a mortuary in Port Harcourt, the Rivers’ capital.
A representative of the family, Mr Ejike Esinkonye, told NAN that the people of Ohaji/Egbema, Obodo’s community in Imo, were still aggrieved.

He claimed that the family spent N6.5 million to bring the corpse home, while his burial has been tentatively fixed for Dec. 28.