The family of a Nigerian student, Mr. Gabriel Soriwei, who was killed in the North Cyprus city of Nicosia, has cried out to the Federal Government, relevant authorities and indeed all well meaning Nigerians to intervene and ensure justice is done.
The late Soriwei, aged 20, was a first year student of Electrical/Electronic/Engineering at the Cyprus International University, Nicosia, in the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus when he was knocked down by a female driver on July 13, 2013.
As a result of the impact of the accident, Gabriel fell into a coma and eventually died on September, 7 2013. On September 12, the authorities of the Cyprus International University flew his remains via the same Turkish Airline he flew in February to us as cargo for us to clear.
The father of the deceased Mr. Patrick Soriwei said in a statement that, “while the family has accepted the reality of the painful loss of our child, his death has raised some issues about the value placed on the life of the Nigerian outside the shores of this country.”
He noted that “first, neither the Cyprus International University nor the family of the woman who drove the car that killed Gabriel has found it necessary to at least write to the family to condole with us on the death of this young man who until his death was contributing to the economy of Cyprus by paying school fees as a foreign student.
“It is also unjust that the authorities of Cyprus are hiding the identity of the woman who killed our child from the family. The police authorities in Cyprus insisted that it was the practice in their country to ensure that such a person was shielded from the family of the victim.”
