On 21st August 2019, the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs urges political office holders and other Nigerian dignitaries to keep it abreast about their impending foreign travel schedules, so as to enable the Ministry to make adequate preparation for their safety. This is coming four days after former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, was attacked at the 2nd Annual Igbo Cultural Festival in Nuremberg, Germany by suspected members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
In a statement signed by the ministry’s spokesperson, Ferdinand Nwonye, on Wednesday clarified that the travel advisory was not aimed to monitor the activities of Nigerian dignitaries but to enable it thoroughly scrutinize the security status of the organizations inviting them.
The advisory statement reads in part: “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned in the strongest terms the attack on former Deputy Senate President, Dr. Ike Ekweremadu, who was attending the 2nd Annual Igbo Cultural Festival as a Speaker and special guest of honor at an event organized by the Ndi-Igbo Community in Nuremberg, Germany.”
Also, the statement went further urged dignitaries to endeavor to bring to the notice of the Ministry and Nigerian Missions abroad their impending travel schedules so as to come up with well as well as concrete steps to ensure that law enforcement agencies in the host country are on hand to guarantee their comprehensive security.
Meanwhile, the Ministry assures Nigerians that Government will work with relevant authorities in Germany to ensure that the perpetrators of the dastardly act on Ekweremadu are brought to book, to serve as deterrence against further similar occurrences.