The Nigerian government has confirmed the death of 26 young girls on the Mediterranean Sea. The confirmation was contained in a statement signed by the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Tope Elias-Fatile. The statement said that the Ministry has received a reliable report from its Mission in Rome, confirming that the dead bodies of the 26 suspected girls were Nigerians.
These are young female Nigerians within the age brackets of 14 and 18, discovered on Sunday 5th November, 2017 in the Mediterranean Sea. The report indicates that a Spanish Warship, Cantabria, brought the remains of the migrants to Southern Italian Port of Salerno.
“The Italian security officials who made this discovery are yet to confirm if they were murdered and why all who died were female,” the statement read. Meanwhile, the Italian Police Chief in Salerno who noted that it appears they drowned has launched an investigation into the cause of their death to ascertain if they were either tortured or sexually assaulted.
The Nigerian Government has used the medium to commiserate with the family members of the victims, saying that it was indeed a monumental loss and a sad moment for the country.
However, the Foreign Affairs Ministry has also assured Nigerians that more investigations are being conducted on the unfortunate incident.