>
The Federal Government has finally reacted to the reported death of 26 Nigerian women and firls on the Mediterranean sea.
The reaction comes after Nigerians blasted the government’s silence days after the news first broke.
Among those who criticised the government was former Minister of Education and BBOG co-convener, Oby Ezekwesili, who in a tweet this morning, blasted President Muhammadu Buhari for not showing leadership.
She tweeted: “@MBuhari Shocking that you personally have not acknowledged that 26 of the Citizens that you are their President drowned in the Mediterranean Sea and the whole world is talking about it. This is NOT LEADERSHIP, Sir. #EveryCitizensLifeMatters.
“@MBuhari It is CALLOUS for any Leadership to NEVER feel the pains that tragedies bring the way of a people. Can your FG @AsoRock signal to the Nigerian Public that #NigerianCitizensLivesMatter?
Can YOU?”
Daily Sun now reports that in a statement, the government said it has has received a reliable report about the death of the Nigerians.
Spokesperson, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tope Adeleye Elias-Fatile, in the statement was quoted as saying that the Federal Government said the 26 suspected Nigerians, all of whom were females between the aged between 14 and 18, were discovered, on Sunday, November 5, 2017, in the Mediterranean Sea.
The Federal Government further said the development was a monumental loss and a sad moment to the country.
The Federal Government expressed condolences to the family members of the victims, even as it said investigations were being conducted on the unfortunate incident.
“We have received a reliable report from our Mission in Rome that the dead bodies of Twenty-Six (26) suspected Nigerians all of whom were female between the ages of fourteen and eighteen were discovered on Sunday 5th November, 2017 in the Mediterranean Sea.
“The report indicates that a Spanish Warship, Cantabria, brought the remains of the migrants to Southern Italian Port of Salerno. The Italian security officials who made this discovery are yet to confirm if they were purposely killed and why all who died were female,” the Federal Government said.
The government also said the Italian Police Chief in Salerno who noted that it appeard they were drown, has launched an investigation into the cause of their death to ascertain if they were either tortured or sexually assaulted.