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DFA cautions Filipinos in Nigeria amid violent clashes

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The Department of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday advised members of the Filipino community in Nigeria to remain vigilant as violent clashes between police and protesting members of a Muslim organization in the African country started Tuesday.

More than a hundred Filipinos in the Nigerian capital were urged to remain indoors in view of the violence.

Ambassador to Nigeria Shirley Ho-Vicario said the Embassy was in touch with Filipino community leaders and that no Filipino had been harmed.

Reports placed the number of protestors from the Islamic Movement in Nigeria who were killed from three to 18.

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This, after security forces reportedly opened fire when they were attacked by Shi’a protestors demanding the release from detention of their leader.

The envoy said the Embassy also told the 3,000 members of the Filipino community in Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city, to exercise caution. 

Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs reported that the seven Filipino seafarers kidnapped in Nigeria last month were released on Sunday.

The Philippine Embassy in Abuja confirmed the release in its report to Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Tuesday.

Ambassador to Nigeria Shirley Ho-Vicario said the Filipino seafarers are now in Zurich, Switzerland, from where they will be flown to Manila.

The seven were among the 12 crew members of the Swiss-owned MV Glarus taken by armed men, who boarded their vessel on Sept. 22.

They were reported to have been taken by the gunmen as the vessel was making its way from Lagos to Port Harcourt.

According to the envoy, all 12 crew members were released on Oct. 28. 

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