Nigerian diaspora calls for their gov’t to intervene in Ewansiha’s death

PUCHONG: The Nigerian Diaspora Commission (NDC) urged the Nigerian government to investigate the death of doctorate student Orhions Ewansiha Thomas at the hands of the Malaysian Immigration Department.
In a statement, NDC director general Abike Dabiri Erwa urged the Nigerian High Commission in Malaysia to leave no stone unturned in probing Ewansiha’s death.
“I urge the Nigerian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur, to open an investigation into the death of Ewansiha.
“We must ensure that the welfare of our countrymen in Malaysia is not compromised,” she said.
Yesterday, Ewansiha, Nigerian doctorate student from Lim Kok Wing University, was found dead after a seizure while being held in custody by the Immigration Department
He was detained on July 5 by the Immigration officialsdespite having valid documents.
Immigration director-general Khairul Dzaimee Daud defended Ewansiha’s detention, saying the agency followed SOP in the Nigerian’s detention.
However, DAP MP Charles Santiago fired back at Khairul, telling the latter to explain why Ewansiha was detained despite the latter possessing valid documents.
The Immigration Department also came under fire this month for detaining even toddlers in its detention centres, denying their mothers access to the children.
Last week, US singer Maggie Lindemann said she was put in ‘living hell’ after immigration officials detained her for not having the proper permits for a performance in Kuala Lumpur.
Commenting on Ewanisha’s death, Abike questioned the Malaysian authorities on why Ewansiha was detained for 14 days despite the latter having valid documents.
“Ewansiha had a valid student pass but he was still detained for 14 days by the Malaysian authorities until he suffered a seizure while in custody.
“My heart goes out to his family, his young widow and two who’ve suffered such a painful loss,” she said.
On related matter, the Nigerian High Commission to Malaysia said that they were working closely with the Malaysian authorities to find out the cause of Ewansiha’s death.
“We have taken note of the concerns of Nigerians in Malaysia. We assure you that we are taking all the necessary steps to address this issue and prevent such an incident from happening again.
“We are currently waiting for the autopsy report. In the meantime, we urge all Nigerians in Malaysia to abide by local laws and cooperate with us while we investigate the matter,” reads the statement.
By G Vinod