Sushma Swaraj will make a statement on the attacks on Nigerian students in Greater Noida.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will make a statement in Parliament next week on the
attacks on Nigerian students in Greater Noida. This comes a day after Nigeria summoned the Indian High Commissioner in the country.
Nigeria had asked India to ensure the immediate arrest and prosecution of those responsible. In a series of attacks since Monday, at least five Nigerian students were assaulted by mobs in Greater Noida in the National Capital Region.
"The incident of attacks on the African students are unfortunate. Sushma Swaraj spoke to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The matter is being probed," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said in Lok Sabha.
The attacks were also raised in parliament Wednesday, with members in the Rajya Sabha calling for strong condemnation.
Ms Swaraj will make the statement on April 5.
Three students were attacked by a large group that had taken out a protest march on Monday evening over the death of a 17-year-old schoolboy, Manish Khatri, allegedly of a drug overdose. The attackers alleged that Nigerians in the neighbourhood were responsible for the drug problem.
In a second attack the same evening, a Nigerian student was assaulted by a mob inside the Ansal Plaza mall. In extremely disturbing footage caught on mobile phone, the student is beaten with a steel dustbin and stools, and repeatedly punched and kicked by the attackers.
The Nigerian government has reportedly expressed concern that its students were beaten and "many of them seriously injured" given the "excellent relationship between the two countries."
Five people were arrested for the attacks.