The federal government yesterday in Abuja said that the authorities in Equatorial Guinea had yet to inform it on the death of two Nigerians in jail over coup plot.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Equatorial Guinean government in 2009 arrested seven Nigerian nationals for alleged armed attack on the country’s Presidential Palace.

Dr Martin Uhomoibhi, the permanent secretary of the foreign affairs ministry, told NAN that the ministry was currently investigating the death and the denial of consular access to those serving their terms in that country’s prison.

“This is something we must verify before we make judgment and we hope that even if it’s true, the Equatorial Guinean Government will consider to grant the Nigerian Embassy access to these people.

“I need to verify the denial of consular access and hope it is not true because the Vienna Convention makes it mandatory for countries that have diplomatic relations to have consular access on matters such as their citizens whenever they are under arrest,” he said.

Uhomoibhi also said that the issues were bi-lateral and could be addressed at several fora such as the Gulf of Guinea Commission, “so, we will explore all possible means to ensure that our bilateral relations remain strong and cordial”.

According to him, the government in its pursuit of citizen diplomacy will remain actively engaged in seeking fair trial for Nigerians wherever the interest of its citizens are being threatened.

He, however, said that Nigeria being a democratic country would not condone coup plotting and wishes democratic governance for all its friendly countries.

“Nigeria views with great concern that unfortunate incident that occurred in that country and strongly disassociates its self from any attempt to overthrow constitutional democracy anywhere on earth not least in a friendly neighbouring country,” Uhomoibhi stressed.

Meanwhile, the Equatorial Guinea Envoy to the UN, Amb. Anatolio Mba, on Wednesday denied reports that two Nigerians implicated in the coup died in detention.

Mba in a news briefing in New York also dismissed as unfounded that his government had not granted the Nigerian government access to its nationals
allegedly involved in the coup.

“It is not to my knowledge that two Nigerians have died in detention. It is misleading to say that the government of Nigeria is not being allowed to visit the prisoners while there is good relations between both countries,” he  said.