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Tag: Northern Cyprus

  • Cypriot police arrest four Nigerians for operating a prostitution ring

    Cypriot police arrest four Nigerians for operating a prostitution ring

    The police in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) has arrested some Nigerians operating a prostitution ring in the country.

    The Nigerians are Sharon Blessing Chibuike, 38, Promise Ben David, 27, Chinedu Emmanuel Ibekweo, 19, and Esther Montse, 29.

    They will be charged for Forced Detention with Intent Prostitution, Encouragement of Prostitution, Prostitution and Intentional Sexual Sex Detention.

    A Police officer, Vasvi Özbey reported the facts in a sworn testimony in court on Wednesday.

    The police acted on a complaint filed by “OA” at the Nicosia Judicial Branch on January 23.

    Blessing Chibuike lives in Nicosia, capital of Cyprus, with OA whom they had brought from Nigeria to enroll as a student in Turkey.

    The suspects withheld the passport of the 28-year-old, forcing her to have sex with men in exchange for money.

    A search warrant was obtained from the Nicosia District Court, but no one could be identified at the address.

    On January 24, the police obtained a court order to take in the suspects for prosecution.

    Two notebooks found at the address now form part of the evidence. The suspects say they are not guilty.

    Judge Nil Elodie Çeliker ordered their remand in police custody as investigation continues.

    Recall that the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has cautioned Nigerian students against going to Northern Cyprus.

    Its chairperson, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, had in a ministerial briefing organised by the Presidential Communications Team appealed to Nigerian students from going there to study or do business.

    She said Northern Cyprus was not recognized by the UN, adding that a lot of students had been killed there.

    “There have been a lot of problems in Northern Cyprus; we have youths come to tell us, please tell everybody to stop going to Northern Cyprus.

    “We did that sometime ago and we were challenged at what rights we had to tell people not to go to Northern Cyprus.

    “I say it again; if you have to go to Northern Cyprus, think twice about it; no fewer than 20 students have been killed over the years and nothing has happened to the assailants.

  • 300-Level Nigerian Student declared missing in Northern Cyprus

    300-Level Nigerian Student declared missing in Northern Cyprus

    Nigerian student studying in Cyprus, Abdulsamad  a 300-Level International Relations student of Cyprus Science University has been declared missing. He was until his reported disappearance living off-campus.

    This is coming days after an advisory was put out by Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) warning Nigerian students from going to Northern Cyprus to study.

    Public Relations and Protocols Unit Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, confirmed his disappearance in Cyprus via a statement signed and released by him.

    Balogun added that the student’s mother cried to the commission asking for intervention in finding her child in Cyprus.

    Balogun said Ibraheem last spoke with her 28-year-old son on the phone on August 2, when he pleaded with her mother to come for him.

    The statement reads in part “According to the 54-year-old trader, who hails from Kogi State, she last spoke with her son on August 2, through another person’s phone number, when the son raised an alarm that they had come to pick me up to a detention camp”

    She said since that call from an unknown number, with her son wailing and asking for help, she had not known his whereabouts or heard any news from him or the school authorities.

    Confused about what to do, she reached out to the agent who secured the admission and travelling documents for her son but he was not forthcoming too.

    “She said she was advised to write a petition to the Consular and Legal Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by a friend, which she did before someone told her that Abike Dabiri-Erewa had earlier advised Nigerians to be wary of Northern Cyprus, hence reaching out to Dabiri-Erewa for help”,

    Receiving the petition on behalf of Dabiri-Erewa, the Secretary of the Commission, Dr Sule Bassi, assured Ibraheem that everything possible would be done to help locate her son and bring him back to the country.

    Bassi reiterated that the country doesn’t enjoy diplomatic relations with Northern Cyprus but would do everthing within the body’s power to intervene.

    He pleaded with Ibraheem to take care of her health, reassured her that further investigation would be carried out by the Commission in collaboration with the Nigeria Embassy in Ankara, Turkey.

    He further revealed that  the earlier advisory given by the Commission concerning sending students to Northern Cyprus, due to the negative reports received, especially from the students should be followed strictly.

  • Mother seeks NiDCOM’s help as child goes missing in Northern Cyprus

    Mother seeks NiDCOM’s help as child goes missing in Northern Cyprus

    The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) says a 28-year-old Nigerian student has been reported missing in Northern Cyprus since Aug. 2.

    The commission said this in a statement issued in Abuja by its Head of Media, Public Relations, and Protocol, Mr. Abdur-Rahman Balogun.

    Balogun said that the disappearance of the student was reported to the commission by his mother, Mrs. Dije Ibraheem.

    The report of the missing student came barely 24 hours after NiDCOM repeated advisory to Nigerians against seeking educational succour in Türkiye Republic of Northern Cyprus.

    He said that the missing student, AbdulSamad Abubakar, had called the mother on Aug. 2, through another person’s phone number, crying “they have come to pick me up to a detention camp”.

    “Mrs Ibraheem said AbdulSamad is a 300-Level International Relations student of Cyprus Science University and was living off campus.

    “She said since that call on Aug. 2, 2022 from an unknown number, with her son wailing and asking for help, she has not known his whereabout or heard any news from him or the school authorities.

    “Confused on what to do, she reached out to the agent who secured the admission and travelling documents for her son but he was not forthcoming too.”

    The woman also said she had written a petition to the Consular and Legal Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, before coming to seek for NiDCOM’s intervention, Balogun added.

    According to him, the woman’s prayer is to get her only son back to Nigeria alive.

    “I am here today at NiDCOM to beg you in the name of God to help me bring back my son alive, as I am scared of hearing any bad news about my only child. Please help me, I am a single mother,” she was quoted as saying.

    The Secretary of the Commission, Sule Bassi, received the petition on behalf of the Chairman of NiDCOM, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa.

    He assured Ibraheem that everything possible would be done to locate her son and bring him back to Nigeria.

    Bassi, however, reminded her that diplomatic services would be difficult, because Nigeria and the United Nations had no diplomatic relations with Northern Cyprus.

    He, however, assured her that further investigation would be carried out by the Commission in conjuction with the Nigeria Embassy in Ankara, Turkey.

    “Here at NiDCOM, we are concerned about the welfare of Nigerians abroad as well as encouraging them to invest back home for national development,” he said.

    The secretary advised Ibraheem to take care of her health, as the commission investigates the matter.

    He reiterated the earlier advisory given by the Commission against sending students to Northern Cyprus due to negative reports from there, especially from students.

    Turkey’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Hidayet Bayraktar on Thursday issued an open letter describing the advisory by the Commission as exaggerated.

    NiDCOM however responded by releasing the list of Nigerians murdered in Northern Cyprus within three years.

  • Federal Government warns citizens from travelling to Northern Cyprus

    Federal Government warns citizens from travelling to Northern Cyprus

    The Federal Government of Nigeria has warned its citizens to desist from traveling to Cyprus in search of greener pastures.

    The FG gave the warnings through the Chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Dr. Abike Dabiri-Erewa at the 48th session of the state House Ministerial Media Briefing organized by the presidential communication Team at the presidential Villa in Abuja, the country’s capital.

    Dabiri-Erewa cited the frequent killing of Nigerians in Cyprus, particularly in the Northern region of the country, as reasons the nationals must avoid traveling to the country.

    Many Nigerians are in Northern Cyprus mainly to pursue tertiary education most especially foreign University degrees.

    Erewa noted that both countries do not enjoy diplomatic relations because Northern Cyprus was not recognized by the International Community as a country except by Turkey.

    “Think twice before going to Northern Cyprus. We can’t do much for Nigerians there. Our students are being killed daily.” She said

    The NiDCOM chairman also said that every Nigerian stranded in Ukraine at the start of the conflict returned home safely.

    She, however, expressed sadness that some of them were still going back

    Dabiri-Erewa then advised Nigerian citizens to always be good ambassadors of the country in a foreign land.

  • Don’t go to Northern Cyprus – NiDCOM advises Nigerians

    Don’t go to Northern Cyprus – NiDCOM advises Nigerians

    The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has advised Nigerians seeking greener pastures against travelling to Northern Cyprus.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Dr Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO, NiDCOM gave the advice in a statement released by Mr Gabriel Odu, Media, Public Relations and Protocols Unit of NiDCOM.

    The advice followed a visit by members of the Nigerian Diaspora Youth Ambassador, which raised an alarm over the plight of Nigerian students in Northern Cyprus.

    They said that Nigerian youths are suffering from intense depression as a result of the inhuman treatment meted to them, giving rise to the high rate of suicide amongst them in Northern Cyprus.

    President of the Association, Mr David Alozie, who led a four-man delegation to Dabiri-Erewa in Abuja, said the purpose of the visit to the Commission is to appeal for quick intervention on the plight of Nigerian students in Northern Cyprus.

    He added that Nigerian students are being racially profiled and deported on arrival at the airport for establishing contact with any individual in Southern Cyprus.

    Mr Alozie added that Nigerian students are forced to pay for tuition in Pounds whereas other foreign students pay in Turkish Lira (TL).

    Mr. Alozie and his team expressed willingness to collaborate with NiDCOM and other relevant agencies to create more awareness on the challenges Nigerian youths are facing in Northern Cyprus.

    In his words “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is not the best place to study, as the majority of the institutions there are not recognized by the European Union (EU) or any country in the world”.

    In her reaction, Dabiri-Erewa advised that Northern Cyprus is becoming a dangerous transit route for migrants, stressing that the country is not recognized by any country in the world except Turkey.

    She, therefore, stressed the need for further awareness to sensitize Nigerian youths who are leaving their country with the hope of better education.

    The NIDCOM Boss commended the President and his entire team’s efforts so far but explicitly stated that “the team has a bigger job to do in creating awareness for youths in Nigeria as it is better to stay in your country alive than risk your life in going to a country where uncountable and unresolved cases of young Nigerians have been and are still being recorded”.

    Dabiri-Erewa gave assurance that NiDCOM will continue to work with relevant agencies like the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and the Parent Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the nagging issue of Northern Cyprus.

    “It should be noted that Northern Cyprus is recognized only by the Republic of Turkey, and Nigeria and other countries do not have an Embassy there making it difficult to take Northern Cyprus up with the United Nations or European Union,” she noted.