Nigerian students were attacked in Noida at New Delhi; the attack on students has been shocking in India. It appears that African students have complained often that they are racially abused in India. The attacks were provoked by the death of a local teenager due to a drug overdose.
The dead teenager's parents are blaming the Nigerian students for giving him drugs, five students were attacked on Monday by crowds and another was beaten up by a mob inside a shopping mall. The police have followed up on the attack and arrested five people, the Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj had promised an impartial inquiry into attacks on Nigerian students.
The attack of the student inside a popular shopping mall was recorded on mobile phone cameras, the video went viral on social media and the victim told Indian reporters that he was badly beaten up with rods, bricks and knives. The victim said he had no help and neither did anyone care to call the police as per BBC.
One of the students studying in the country's capital said the situation is not favorable for Nigerian students. Students are avoiding contact and staying indoors at the moment, but they are also facing other problems as landlords are forcing them to vacate.
The Association of African Students of India has asked them to stay indoors and not to attend classes at the moment. This is not the first time as there were attacks on African nationals living in India last year. This includes the death of a Congolese man in Delhi.
Looking at the other side of the story, many people have complained about Nigerians and their drug usage in the country. Most of these students come to India to pursue their education, it appears that the situation needs to be dealt with precautions and safety especially for students who come from a different nationality.
