Video of Nigerian diplomat being assaulted by Indonesian immigration officers sparks international incident

Diplomat Abdulrahman Ibrahim can be heard screaming constantly in the video, while shouting ‘I can’t breathe… my neck, my neck…’

An alleged assault on a Nigerian diplomat inside a moving car in Indonesia by the southeast Asian country’s immigration officials has led to international outrage, with the Nigerian government condemning the incident and demanding punishment.

Nigeria has recalled its envoy to Jakarta to give a full report of the incident, as well as summoning the Indonesian ambassador in Abuja.

Tensions have dramatically escalated between the two countries after a video went viral on social media showing Nigerian diplomat Abdulrahman Ibrahim being held down by at least three men and crying out in pain inside a vehicle near his residence in Jakarta.

The exact date of the incident is unclear, but it has also sparked a public outcry among those who see it as emblematic of the unfair treatment meted out to Nigerian nationals abroad.

Mr Ibrahim was assaulted “during a round-up by the Indonesian immigration officials [searching for] illegal migrants in their country,” according to Geoffrey Onyeama, Nigeria’s minister of foreign affairs.

In the video, two men can be seen grabbing hold of Mr Ibrahim’s hands and a foot is pressed against one of his legs, while a third person can be seen pinning Mr Ibrahim’s face against the backseat of a car. Mr Ibrahim, dressed in a white T-shirt and jeans, can be heard screaming constantly throughout the video and shouting: “I can’t breathe… my neck, my neck…”

In a statement released on Monday, the Nigerian foreign ministry said that it has “complained strongly to the government of Indonesia”.

The ministry added that the ambassador made an unreserved apology on behalf of Indonesia’s government. Calling it “unacceptable and unfortunate”, the ministry said the incident was “against international law and Vienna conventions governing diplomatic and consular relations between states”.

The ministry has also sent an official letter of protest to the Indonesian government pointing this out.

“The ambassador of Nigeria to Indonesia has confirmed that the immigration official involved had since come to the Nigerian embassy to apologise to the ambassador and the diplomat concerned,” the foreign ministry said.