Ministry Of Law And Human Rights Clarifies Alleged Violence By Immigration Officers To Nigerian Diplomats

PHOTO VIA BETWEEN

JAKARTA - Head of the DKI Jakarta Regional Office of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights (Kemenkum HAM), Ibnu Chuldun, has clarified the allegations of violence committed by the South Jakarta Special Class I Immigration Office officer against a Nigerian diplomat.

"It was the Nigerian foreigner who beat our officers while on their way to the Immigration Office," Ibnu said, quoted by Antara, Tuesday, August 10.

The person concerned, said Ibnu Chuldun, was brought to the office for being uncooperative by rebuking the officer who was examining the documents and challenging him to be arrested.

As a result of the beating, he said, one of the officers suffered a swollen and bleeding wound on the left lip. This can be proven from the results of the visa carried out by immigration officers.

After the beating, he said, officers then intervened and grabbed the Nigerian foreigner. So, what can be seen in the video is that the Immigration officers are trying to prevent him from committing violence or other unwanted things.

The incident began with information received by officers regarding a group of foreigners who allegedly had their residence permits expired and were staying at a hotel in South Jakarta.

Officers then went to the location of the foreigners because they allegedly planned to hold a party at the hotel where they were staying on Saturday, August 7 afternoon.

By the hotel, he continued, the officers were told the foreigners had "checked out" and moved to an apartment which was still located in the South Jakarta area. Then, the officers went to the apartment in question and found a foreigner in the apartment lobby.

"When the officer asked for his passport and identity, the foreigner was angry and didn't want to hand over the documents," he said.

In fact, the foreigner had time to rebuke the officers and even challenged to be arrested. Because they were not cooperative, they were finally taken to the Immigration Office, said Ibnu.

On the way to the office, the person concerned hit the officer and had to be taken into custody. It didn't stop there, the foreigner kept shouting all the way until he arrived at the Immigration office.

"In fact, the officers did not do violence to him," he said.

After being questioned, he said, finally the person concerned admitted to being a diplomat by handing over the Diplomatic Card of the Nigerian Embassy.

According to Ibnu, the issue was resolved amicably after the Nigerian Ambassador Ari Usman Ogah visited the South Jakarta Immigration Office.

After the mediation process and listening to the chronology of events from both parties, the officer and the foreigner finally agreed to settle it amicably. Both parties acknowledged that there had been a misunderstanding and agreed to make peace.

"This incident didn't really need to happen if the foreigner had been cooperative with the officers from the start and was open about his status as a diplomat," he said.