Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Dr. Abike Dabir-Erewa has advised Nigerians not to go to the Northern Cyprus because it is not recognized as a sovereign country by the United Nations (UN) and its foreign policy is largely towards Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots Living Abroad.
“Please tell everybody to stop going to Northern Cyprus. Over 20 students have been killed over the years and nothing has happened.”
Abike Dabiri-Erewa, who spoke to news men today, August 25 on the weekly programme of ministerial briefing at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said that the country is in a complex situation since it declared independence from Cyprus in 1983 after the invasion by Turkish troops.
“Think twice before going to Northern Cyprus. We can’t do much for Nigerians there. Our students are being killed daily.
The NIDCOM boss said that the federal government needs to take a strong decision about places like Northern Cyprus, even as she admitted that no diplomatic success has been recorded by Nigeria in the affected country.
“We do a lot of diplomatic engagement in Diaspora matters in Northern Cyprus, because it’s being a lot of problem with Northern Cyprus.
“We did that sometimes ago and somebody said, how can you tell people not to go, and I’m saying it again, if you are going to Northern Cyprus think twice about it.
“Over 20 students have been killed over the years and nothing has happened; so these students came with themselves and said they have to embark on an awareness, saying don’t go to Northern Cyprus.
“Northern Cyprus is recognized only by Turkey, it is not a United Nation recognized country.
“So if you run, we can’t do much, but our students are being killed on a daily basis and nothing is happening.”
The country’s president is Ersin Tatar. He is said to be pushing for strong ties with the United Kingdom, having graduated from the University of Cambridge in 1982.
