Family of student killed in Cyprus demands justice

The family of a Nigerian student, Gabriel Soriwei, who was
killed in the North Cyprus city of Nicosia, has cried out to the
Federal Government to assist the family in getting justice for
the slain boy.
Gabriel, 20, a first year student of Electrical/Electronic
Engineering at the Cyprus International University, Nicosia, in
the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus, was knocked down by a
female driver on July 13, 2013.
As a result of the impact of the accident, he fell into a coma
and eventually died on September 7, 2013.
On September 12, the Cyprus International University
authorities flew his remains via Turkish Airline to Nigeria as a
cargo.
His father, Patrick Soriwei, who had petitioned President
Goodluck Jonathan, the National Assembly and the National
Human Rights Commission, said while the family had accepted
the reality of the painful loss of their child, his death raised
some issues about the value placed on the life of Nigerians
outside the shores of the country.
The grieving father said, "First, neither the Cyprus
International University nor the family of the woman, who
drove the car that killed Gabriel, has found it necessary to at
least write to the family to "condole with us on the death of
this young man, who until his death, was contributing to the
economy of Cyprus by paying school fees as a foreign student.
"I also find it unjust that the Cyprus authorities are hiding
the identity of the woman, who killed our child, from us. The
Cyprus police have insisted that it is the practice to ensure
that such a person was shielded from the family of the victim."
The bereaved father said he had been informed during a visit
to Nicosia by the Turkish police that the female driver had
lost control of the vehicle, which knocked down Gabriel.
Investigations had revealed that she was under the influence
of alcohol at the time.
The woman was said to have been detained for three days
before she was released while no further action had been
taken on the case by the Turkish authorities since the woman
was released.
The university, which reportedly plays host to about 700
Nigerian students, has allegedly not shown any interest in the
case. Despite several entreaties by the family to the school
authorities, Gabriel's belongings have yet to be sent to
Nigeria.
The father added, "Although, the Nigerian Embassy in Cyprus
is aware of the incident, it does not seem to see the need to
defend the rights of Nigerians there as a priority.
"The best the Nigerian Mission in Ankara has done was to send
one Uche to the university to find out the cause of the death.
The Mission has not rendered the necessary assistance in
getting the police to write a report on his death. This delay in
writing this report, we believe, is inspired by a plot to subvert
the process of justice in this matter.
"We intend to pursue this matter to a logical conclusion. We
also urge the Federal Government and all Nigerians of good
conscience to come to our aid in our search for justice. The
life of a Nigerian child should be treated more decently than
that of a stray animal."
When contacted, the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, Mr. Ogbole Ahmedu-Ode said he could not comment
on the issue because, "It has yet to be brought to my
attention."
Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone provided by Airtel Nigeria.