Assault on Africans: Civic society wants cases against residents withdrawn

“We respect the Nigerians as our culture talks about ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ but we cannot allow anyone to run a racket and ruin our children’s lives,” says Resident Welfare Association.

The Resident Welfare Association of Gautam Budh Nagar has written to the district authority to withdraw the cases registered against NGOs and social group representatives in wake of the attack on African students here.

Police officials hold a meeting with Africans at The Alstonia Apartments in Greater Noida on Wednesday.(Virendra Singh Gosain/HT Photo)

“Nigerians in the guise of students come here and indulge in narcotics smuggling. Police should probe this angle in detail and arrest those in the wrong. We respect the Nigerians as our culture talks about ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ (The guest is equivalent to God) but we cannot allow anyone to run a racket and ruin our children’s lives,” Sher Singh, RWA secretary general said.

“We also condemn the assault on Nigerians. Our demand is that police should go through the CCTV footage and identify the culprits who attacked the African students. The FIRs against the civic society members is unjust, they should be withdrawn,” he said.

“A thorough investigation should be done without any bias,” Singh added.

Four Nigerian students were allegedly attacked recently by a group of Greater Noida residents who took out a candle-light march after a 17-year-old boy Manish died last week in the NSG Black Cats Enclave due to suspected drug overdose. Five persons have been arrested in this connection.