The Director-General of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, engaged in a Twitter spat with a Twitter user who identifies as an ‘Obidient’ (follower of Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi) over the recent attack on Nigerian students in Gurgaon University, India.
Nigerian students in the institution were attacked after a rift ensued with local students while playing football, forcing about 60 Nigerian students out of the institution’s campus on Friday, October 14, 2022.
One Twitter user, Ashok Swain, shared a video of the attack against the Nigerian students with the caption, “Nigerian students being attacked in a University Campus near Delhi – 30,000 Nigerian students come to study in India paying money, 50,000 Indians live in Nigeria to make money.”
Responding via her verified account, the former House of Representatives member clarified that the scene in the video took place during a football match between Africans and Indians.
She added that “The Nigerian mission immediately took custody of 86 Nigerian students, invited the representatives of the Indian govt, got their commitment to ensuring the safety of the students.”
“Calm has returned to the campus. A few injuries were recorded and further investigations are ongoing. The Nigerian mission had made it clear that the Indian authorities would be held responsible if anything happens to any of the students.
“Any student feeling threatened should report to the Nigerian mission in Delhi immediately, she continued.”
In response to the tweet, a user with the name, @sensegiver1 wrote, “She should go to Indonesia and see how Nigerians are treated. Mumu woman supporting a failed government. She’s equally part of the failure. Eye service!”
Obviously irritated, Dabiri-Erewa fired back saying, “Ode! You go to Indonesia, carry drugs, do cultism and come begging to be rescued from death sentence. Thank God for @ndlea_nigeria now saving people like you from death row.”
However, the All Progressives Congress member who recently clocked 60 has since received knocks for giving such an ‘insensitive’ response while others believe, the user called for it.
