Nigeria High Commission in Canada closes to the public over unruly behaviour

Nigeria High Commission in Canada

The Ottawa office of the Nigeria High Commission in Canada has shut its doors to the public and suspended consular services until further notice.

In a statement on its website, the High Commission said it was forced to close to the public after Nigeria citizens conducted themselves in an unruly manner at the commission’s office.

The statement agreed that a number of citizens have compelling passport renewal requests which it was ready to attend to in a responsible manner. Attending to such categories of citizens was made strictly by appointment on designated days of the week. This it said enabled the High Commission to admit a limited number of people into the chancery at a time and observe the laid down rules of physical and social distancing.

However, some Nigerians abused the privilege showing up at the chancery without an appointment and insisting on being attended to, even on days when they were not open to the public at all.

The commission said such people behave in a most unruly manner, disturbing the peace, banging windows and other anti-social behaviour, forcing them to cease operation. It cited an incident on 14th August, when a group of Nigerians showed up at the High Commission and refused the embassy staff to attend to those who had appointments. The group insisted the embassy must attend to everyone who showed up.

“They went as far as holding a female staff member who went to address them, hostage, for over twenty minutes and subjected her to physical abuse.”

The commission in the statement eventually explained that they would be exploring ways of making their premises more secure and less susceptible to unruly behaviour and violent mob action.

Read the full statement below

THE HIGH COMMISSION OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA IN CANADA WISHES TO INFORM NIGERIAN COMMUNITIES IN CANADA AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE MISSION REMAINS CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC. THE SPECIAL INTERVENTION ARRANGEMENT WHEREBY EMERGENCY CASES WERE BEING HANDLED ON A DISCRETIONARY BASIS IS HEREBY SUSPENDED.

WE WOULD LIKE TO DRAW ATTENTION TO THE FOLLOWING PERTINENT FACTS:

1. DIRECTIVES FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN NIGERIA AND PUBLIC HEALTH GUIDELINES ISSUED BY THE PROVINCE OF ONTARIO INFORMED BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, INDICATED A NEED TO CLOSE THE MISSION TO THE PUBLIC AND WORK FROM HOME WHICH IS HOW MANY GOVERNMENT AGENCIES ARE PRESENTLY OPERATING.

2. THE MISSION REALIZED THAT A NUMBER OF OUR CITIZENS HAVE COMPELLING PASSPORT RENEWAL REQUESTS AND WE WANTED TO BE ABLE TO ASSIST SUCH INDIVIDUALS IN A RESPONSIBLE MANNER.

3. WE DEVISED A SYSTEM IN WHICH CITIZENS WITH EMERGENCY CASES WERE BEING ATTENDED TO STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT ON DESIGNATED DAYS OF THE WEEK. THIS ENABLED US TO ADMIT A LIMITED NUMBER OF PEOPLE INTO THE CHANCERY AT A TIME AND OBSERVE THE LAID DOWN RULES OF PHYSICAL AND SOCIAL DISTANCING.

4. OUR CITIZENS FOR SOME REASON CHOSE TO ABUSE THIS SYSTEM, THEY WOULD SHOW UP AT THE CHANCERY WITHOUT AN APPOINTMENT AND INSIST ON BEING ATTENDED TO EVEN ON DAYS WHEN WE WERE NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AT ALL.

5. ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS PEOPLE SEEKING PASSPORT RENEWAL CAME TO THE CHANCERY WITHOUT AN APPOINTMENT AND ACTED IN A MOST UNRULY MANNER, DISTURBING THE PEACE AND ACTING IN AN ABUSIVE MANNER, BANGING WINDOWS ETC.

6. MATTERS CAME TO A HEAD ON FRIDAY AUGUST 14, 2020 WHEN A GROUP SHOWED UP AT THE HIGH COMMISSION AND REFUSED TO ALLOW THE EMBASSY STAFF MEMBERS TO ATTEND TO THOSE WHO HAD APPOINTMENTS. THEY INSISTED THAT WE HAD TO ATTEND TO EVERYBODY WHO SHOWED UP. THEY WENT AS FAR AS HOLDING A FEMALE STAFF MEMBER WHO WENT TO ADDRESS THEM HOSTAGE FOR OVER TWENTY MINUTES AND SUBJECTED HER TO PHYSICAL ABUSE.

7. THIS KIND OF CONDUCT IS CONSIDERED UNNECESSARILY HOSTILE AND TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE AND NO EMBASSY WOULD TOLERATE CONDUCT THAT PUTS THE LIVES OF ITS STAFF MEMBERS AT RISK.

8. WE ARE CLOSING DOWN THE EMBASSY AND WE SHALL BE CONSIDERING WAYS TO MAKE OUR PREMISES MORE SECURE AND LESS SUSCEPTIBLE TO UNRULY BEHAVIOUR AND VIOLENT MOB ACTION.

9. WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO DRAW ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT WITH THE CLOSURE OF THE AIR SPACE OUR ABILITY TO BRING MUCH NEEDED PASSPORT BOOKLETS INTO THE COUNTRY HAS BEEN IMPAIRED. THIS IS ANOTHER AREA WE INTEND TO FOCUS ON.

10. OUR ENGAGEMENT WITH IMMIGRATION REFUGEES AND CITIZENSHIP CANADA HAS REVEALED THE FOLLOWING CONCERNING INDIVIDUALS TRYING TO RENEW WORK AND STUDY PERMITS:

a. APPLICATIONS FOR RENEWALS SHOULD BE MADE ONLINE

b. AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME APPLICANTS WOULD BE ASKED TO SUBMIT APPROPRIATE DOCUMENTATION

c. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A VALID PASSPORT WHEN THIS HAPPENS YOU MAY ASK FOR A 90 DAY GRACE PERIOD WHICH WOULD BE GRANTED

d. NIGERIAN CITIZENS WHOSE STUDY OR WORK PERMITS HAVE EXPIRED SINCE MARCH 2020 AND WHO DO NOT HAVE A VALID PASSPORT HAVE A GRACE PERIOD THAT LASTS UNTIL DECEMBER 31ST 2020. BY THIS TIME WE EXPECT TO HAVE RESOLVED SOME OF THE CHALLENGING ISSUES THAT COVID-19 HAS CREATED.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT THE IRCC WEBSITE (LINK BELOW) FOR PERIODIC UPDATES:

Coronavirus (COVID-19) information for international students

PLEASE NOTE THAT ANYONE WHO SHOWS UP IN PERSON TO THE HIGH COMMISSION WOULD NOT BE ATTENDED TO, AS WE ARE CURRENTLY CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION AT THIS TIME.

NIGERIA HIGH COMMISSION

OTTAWA, CANADA

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