The Nigeria High Commission in Kenya issued an advisory on Wednesday, warning its citizens of false accusations and attacks following the murders of two young women in the past two weeks.
The advisory said the commission was concerned by the proliferation of online blogs, doctored videos and social media posts that maliciously claimed that Nigerians were responsible for the heinous crimes, which have sparked public outrage.
The commission said it was aware of some reports of sporadic attacks on Nigerian nationals and urged them to remain calm and law-abiding. It also advised them to be vigilant and avoid unnecessary movements while investigations were ongoing and formal communication from the Kenyan authorities was awaited.
“Following the unfortunate murders of two young ladies in the past couple of weeks which have rightly elicited public condemnation, the High Commission of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in Nairobi is concerned by the preponderance of online blogs, doctored videos and social media posts, maliciously entrenching a spurious speculation that ‘Nigerians’ have perpetrated these heinous crimes,” the advisory said.
The commission also appealed to the public to refrain from spreading false information and to direct all inquiries to appropriate channels to verify accurate information.
“The High Commission is also taking proper note of the channels through which such disinformation is being shared and would like to assure that necessary action, within the scope of international law and extant legal provisions of the host authorities will be invoked as appropriate,” the advisory said.
The police have arrested several suspects in connection with the murders, but have not confirmed their nationalities or motives.
The Nigeria High Commission in Kenya is the diplomatic mission of Nigeria in Kenya and is located in the capital city of Nairobi. It provides consular services and promotes bilateral relations between the two countries.
