File photo: Nigerians protest in Goa over the death of a fellow national
A Nigerian consular official warned on Monday that thousands of Indians in his country will be "thrown out on the streets" if the police doesn't stop evicting Nigerians from their homes in Goa, where the government is trying to locate and deport foreigners without valid visas.
"There are only 50,000 Nigerians living in India but there are over one million Indians living in Nigeria. Thousands of Indians living there will be thrown out on the streets if forcible eviction of Nigerians in Goa does not stop," consular attache Jacob Nwadadia told news agency IANS.
Nigeria has also formally written to the Indian government expressing concerns over the security of its citizens.
Last week, a Nigerian was found dead with stab wounds in the Mapusa town of Panaji, triggering angry protests by a group of 200 Nigerians who blocked a major national highway and clashed with the police and locals.
Chief Manohar Parrikar told reporters that he had asked the police department to comb the entire state and locate Nigerians and other foreign nationals who do not have valid visas.
"The state government will withdraw minor cases against the Nigerians and begin process to deport them," the chief minister said.
He also described the murder that took triggered last week's protest as the fall-out of a gang war over drugs.
Chioma Ghansoli, a 24-year-old Nigerian living in Goa, said her landlord asked her to move out of the rented house by the end of the day.
"My landlord said all the 'blacks' had to be evicted on police instructions. I have nowhere to go in Goa. Me and my friends will spend the night at the beach tonight with our luggage," Chioma said.