By Ene Gift Linus

A SUBSTANTIAL number of Africans, including Nigerians, gain admission every year into different universities in the Republic of Northern Cyprus to study various programmes of their choice. But not much is heard or reported about the growing number of sudden deaths in the Nigerian student’s community. Not much is also reported about the criminality promoted by gangs involving some of the students and foreigners here.

While there is no Nigerian Embassy in the country, the country has been attracting a lot of Nigerian students due to the scholarships scheme offered by the various universities (usually 50 or 70 percent scholarship). This scholarship scheme has become the biggest weapon used by many travel agents in Nigeria to convince and procure new students for the various universities in Northern Cyprus.

Nigerians constitute a high number of the over 20,000 foreign students in Northern Cyprus. They are attracted by the offers of scholarships available. However, whereas the tuition fees are relatively cheap, the cost of living is extremely high; yet there are no jobs and even where there are jobs, students are not allowed to work officially. As a result, many students find it very hard to survive and or to continue with education on the island.

Some of the students turn to different criminal activities such as drugs, prostitution and other crimes for survival. Gangs and cults have emerged with the attendant rivalries and clashes. Violence and killings have became a routine and the easiest way to settle grievances by students. In fact, the period between 2016 and 2020 witnessed an increased cases of the deaths of many Nigerian students like never before. No fewer than 20 students from Nigeria were reported dead in questionable circumstances during this period.

The causes of deaths, according to the Cyprus police, are similar and so is the repetition of the act. Here is what you need to know about the death situation in Northern Cyprus in the last four years and what needs to be done about it. Northern Cyprus is officially known as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, TRNC. The self-declared republic is located along the northern portion of the Island of Cyprus and is only recognised by Turkey so far because, according to the international community, there is only one Republic of Cyprus.

Autopsy report

Therefore, the northern portion of Cyprus remains a part of that Republic. This means that all flights going in and out of TRNC must pass through Turkey. The visa of entry from Nigeria has to be a Turkish transit visa. The culture, language, religion and lifestyle in northern Cyprus is similar to that of Turkey. A small country with a population of just 326,000 people used to be considered by many, including Prof Cem Tanova, a professor of management in the faculty of business and economics at the Eastern Mediterranean University, EMU, as “one of the regions with the lowest crime rates around the world”.

However, the recent rapid death cases of Nigerian students tell otherwise and, thus should raise a concern for the security of Nigerians in this part of the world, especially in the face of the global pandemic, COVID-19.

Death cases

Within four years, many Nigerians have died not of a natural causes but murdered either by other Nigerian students, by locals (Turkish Cypriots) or by other nationalities. The few cases mentioned here are just a few of the known deaths. Some haven’t been investigated and some others are not reported.

Kennedy Toomwabwa Dede: According to the police investigation, the 28 years old Nigerian student in Famusgusta was kidnapped from his car, assaulted and taken to the canakkale pond where he was seriously beaten and killed. Three Turkish Cypriots were initially arrested and taken to court.

Osabanjo Adeola Owoyale, a 33 years old Nigerian student went missing on July 1, 2019. He was declared dead after his body was found after eight days wrapped in a blanket and placed in the truck of his car. Official autopsy report stated that Osabanjo was killed with a cutting tool. Eleven people found in his apartment were arrested.

Augustine Wallies, a Nigerian student of the Near East University, was accused of stealing his roommate’s money. Augustine went missing few days before his body was found dumped in a forest area in Haspolat on Friday, April 19, 2019. Autopsy report from the police showed that Augustine was hit on the head till he passed out. After investigations through the help of surveillance cameras, 12 people, including nine Nigerians were arrested in connection to the murdered Nigerian student, and it was gathered that three of the Nigerians admitted to taking part in his death.

Stanley Eteimo. The 28 years old Nigerian student was murdered after he had attended a party at a popular Cyprus hotel. Stanley was threatened by a White guy whose girlfriend was a friend of Stanley. The White guy reportedly stated thus: “I will kill you and nothing will happen because you are in my country”. After the party, Stanley went missing few hours before his body was discovered floating in a private beach. However, official reports stated that Stanley committed suicide.

Hassan Babatunde. The 28 years old Nigerian was studying at Cyprus International University. It was reported that Hassan was kidnapped before he was murdered. His body was found by the seaside. An autopsy showed that Hassan died from cerebral hemorrhage caused by severe blow to the head.

Temitayo Adingun: He died shortly after he was rushed to the hospital following a brief illness. An autopsy showed that Temitayo died of a brain problem.

Adeola Owoyale. The Nigerian student at Cyprus international university went missing for some days before his body was found in a trunk of his own car.

KubiatAbasi Abraham Okon. The 24 years old Nigerian student at Eastern Mediterranean university went missing after he went camping with his friends. His body was later found at the pond. Oziegbe Godspower Airekugose and Olasubomi Ope died in similar circumstances. They went missing for few days only for the police to find them dead and their bodies wasted in a trash.

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Consequences and recommendation

The consequences are that different countries are becoming wary of Nigerians and Nigeria as a crime-loving people. The deceased were students at top universities on the island. Their lives have been wasted and nothing has been done about this heinous crimes in the last four years by the host country or the home country.

It is true that, there is no Nigerian embassy in Northern Cyprus and there might not be an embassy in the next few years. However, the absence of an embassy should not stop the Nigerian government from prioritising the security of its citizens on this side of the island. The Nigerian government needs to take measures to incorporate Nigerians in Northern Cyprus under its Embassy in Turkey.

Someone at the embassy in Turkey should be responsible for hearing and responding to matters from Nigerians in Cyprus. The location doesn’t matter. What matters is communication between the embassy and the Nigerians in that part of the Island.

Because before some of the murders were committed there were threats and signs of violence. But it appears as there were no laid down communication procedures, some of the students waited for their deaths helplessly. The Nigerian government needs to stop encouraging other nations that if they kill Nigerians nothing will happen and no one will be brought to book.

There is also the urgent need to bring awareness about the situation of Northern Cyprus to young Nigerians back home seeking admission and prevent this trafficking and deceit from travel agents. Let’s break the silences and take actions to crimes against humanity.

Linus is a Master’s degree student at Istanbul Aydin University (Turkey).

Vanguard