A coalition of 148 civil society organisations under the auspices of Citizen Right Advocate (CRA) has called the House of Representatives Committees on Diaspora, Foreign Affairs and other relevant committees, to investigate the allegations of ‘high-handedness and inhuman treatment’ of Nigerians in Greece embassy.
The CSOs urged the Ambassador of Greece to Nigeria Ioannis Plotas to investigate allegations of atrocities committed at the Consular section of the embassy.
The groups also noted that the Head of the Consular Department was allegedly denying Nigerians with genuine visa application.
The group claimed that Nigerians allegedly being denied visas included governors, legislators, and other top government officials.
A statement signed by its Executive Director, Hammed Saheed, proposed immediate redeployment of the Lead Consular of the Greece Embassy in Nigeria, Loannis Nikolaidis, should the allegation be found to be true.
The statement reads in part: “Nigerians who visit Greece Embassy for genuine business or to process their visa are treated like criminals under the leadership of Mr. Nikolaidis as the Head of the Consular Section in the embassy.
“This is pathetic and sad. The United Nation’s Universal Declaration on Human Rights of 1948, advocates for the protection of the fundamental rights and freedom of every human being, and the Embassy is currently violating such rights.”
The coalition, however, lamented fundamental human rights breaches, nothing has been done to reverse this unfortunate and unsavoury trend.
The group further lamented that Nigerians are referred to at the embassy as criminals while some are accused of possessing fake documents.
It also described the Head of the Consular section as ethno-nationalism, adding that such an individual is not fit to hold such a sensitive position.
“It is so sad that Nigerians are not treated with dignity in their own country. They chase many Nigerians out of the Embassy like criminals and touts. This is sad,” the statement said.
The group, therefore, called on the Ambassador of Greece to Nigeria to rise to the situation and halt the act at the consular section.
The group further lamented that such negative trends if not immediately curbed could jeopardize Nigeria’s bilateral relationship with Greece.
