A Nigerian politician has accused Sri Lankan authorities of “highly discriminatory” behavior towards a Nigerian family, who were allegedly quarantined at the Bandaranaike International Airport for around 18 hours due to an Ebola scare.
The Chairman of the Nigeria House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora Affairs, Abike Dabiri-Erewa decried the rising spate of stigmatisation of Nigerians in the Diaspora due to the outbreaks of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).
She raised the alarms in a statement she signed at the weekend, noting that the stigmatisation of Nigerians travelling abroad due to Ebola “is one which must be addressed instantly before it spirals out of control.”
According to her, Nigerian citizens continue to witness in great measure the ills of this disease, chief among is the stigmatization of Nigerian internationally due to EVD.
She explained that in many instances, there “are hardly any medical checks, tests, verification or otherwise to ascertain the condition of our citizens.
“Our citizens are mainly harassed and unfairly treated for the fact that they are Nigerians, and in some case sent back from the airport. This act is very predatory and must be checked immediately.”
She cited the example of Mr. Adeseye Adeyemi, a Nigerian who decided to wed his Sri Lankan heartthrob in Sri Lanka, with his family in attendance.
She added that Adeyemi’s tale of joy was unduly turned “to sadness by the terrible treatment received from the Sri Lankan authorities.”
She said all family members “were quarantined in the airport lobby for about 18 hours with no access to food or water, not even toilet facilities were granted causing the children present to answer the call of nature in that state and the family ultimately deported (with no single medical check) after the prolonged wait.
“This unfair treatment is for no other reason than the fact that these individuals are proud holders of the Nigerian passport. This sort of behavior is highly discriminatory and is a clear violation of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights,” she said.
Fifty days since Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) was imported into Nigeria through Lagos, the total number of confirmed cases of EVD in Nigeria has risen to 19.
