The family of, Gabriel Soriwei, a Nigerian student who was killed in Cyprus last month, has urged President Goodluck Jonathan, the Federal Government and other well-meaning individuals to support its demand for justice and the unravelling of the circumstances surrounding the death of the Nigerian.
Twenty-year-old Gabriel, 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 13th July 2013.
And after slipping into coma as a result of the impact of the accident, Gabriel died on 7th September 2013. Five days later, authorities of the Cyprus International University flew his remains via Turkish Airline to his parents as cargo.
While the family accepted the reality of the “painful loss,” it lamented that the Nigerian life is valueless outside the country, which is why neither the Cyprus International University nor the family of the woman who drove the car has found it necessary to at least send a condolence letter to the family of the young man, who until his death was contributing to the economy of Cyprus by paying school fees as a foreign student.
“It is also unjust that the authorities of Cyprus are hiding the identity of the woman who killed our child from the family,” father of the deceased, Patrick Soriwei complained.
“The Police authorities in Cyprus insisted that it was the practice in their country to ensure that such a person is shielded from the family of the victim.”
When Patrick travelled to Nicosia to personally find out details of his son’s death, the Police told him that the Turkish woman lost control of the vehicle, but the explanation did not go down well with him.
“It was however gathered that the woman was drunk even though we have no proof of it. The Police said that the woman was detained for three days and released,” Patrick added.
“Painfully, our investigations revealed that the university, which was said to be pursuing the case and which is host to about 700 Nigerian students, has shown lack of interest in the issue. Several entreaties made by the family to the school authorities to send the belongings of the late Gabriel to Nigeria have been ignored.
“We have informed the Nigerian Embassy in Cyprus and the mission there does not seem to see this screaming demand to defend of the rights of Nigerians in a foreign country 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.”
The family consequently wrote to the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the leadership of the National Assembly, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Turkish Embassy in Nigeria, and other relevant bodies, promising to pursue the matter to the best of its abilities.
“We urge the Federal Government and all Nigerians of good conscience to come our aid in the search for justice over the killing of this innocent Nigerian child,” Patrick added.
“The life of a Nigerian child should be treated more decently than that of a stray animal. The situation doesn’t seem to be different in this case.”
