Over 100 Nigerians, most of them students have been killed in mysterious circumstances in Northern Cyprus, a country not recognised by the United Nations. Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has alerted and warned Nigerian parents against sending their children to universities in Northern Cyprus over the incessant killings of Nigerians.

She gave the warning on August 24 after she called for justice over the death of Ibrahim Khaleel, a third-year engineering student, in Cyprus. According to her, it was too risky to send children to the schools there as Nigerian students had been killed there mysteriously without any conclusive investigations carried out.

Dabiri-Erewa said these when she received a delegation led by Justice Amina Bello, mother of Ibrahim Khaleel, who was allegedly killed in inexplicable circumstances in that country. The NIDCOM boss read out names of Nigerians from a list of more than 100 who were killed in the country.

Kennedy Taomwabwa Dede, 28, student of Eastern Mediterranean University, who was killed on February 1, 2018; Walshak Augustine Ngok, a student of Marine Engineering at Near East University, murdered on April 19, 2019, Gabriel Soriwei, a first-year student of Electrical Electronics of Cyprus International University, Nicosia; Osabanjo Adeola Owoyale, 33, went missing and found dead on July 1, 2019, Augustine Wallies killed on April 19, 2019, Stanley Eteimo, 28 years, Hassan Babatunde, 28, murdered; Temitayo Adigun, killed; Kubiat Abasi Abraham Okon, 24, killed; Oziegbe Gospower Airekugose and Olasubomi Ope and many others.

“The problem is that most Nigerian parents do not know that Northern Cyprus is not recognised by any country in the world. “It is not an UN-recognised country. It is only recognized by Turkey. “That is why we have not been able to do much. Who do you report to? “And they are killed in similar circumstances. The school just tells you ‘well, they committed suicide’ and nothing happens.

“No Nigerian parent should send their children to any university in Northern Cyprus – there is a collaboration which we do not understand that makes them kill blacks, particularly our Nigerian students,” she said. Meanwhile, the case has been transferred to INTERPOL through the office of the Attorney General of the Federation.

She said that there were already reports that many of the courses being offered by the “shoddy” universities in Northern Cyprus were not accredited, pledging that NIDCOM would work with the Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC) for a possible blacklist of certificates from the country.

“Yes our universities have challenges. There are strikes and you don’t (always) know when you are going to finish but there are some of these universities that you will regret you even went to, including some in Africa.

Abike assured the mother of the deceased student that the commission will demand justice, not only for her son but also for other Nigerians, who have been killed while studying in that country. 

Thanks.