Goa is a popular tourist
destination in India
The Nigerian community in India is
feeling "aggrieved" after one of its citizens was killed in Goa, Nigeria's high
commissioner has told the BBC.
Ndubuisi Vitus Amaku said the resort state's subsequent order to deport
Nigerians living illegally there was like "rubbing salt on their wounds".
Meanwhile, police in Goa have made the first arrest in the murder case.
Tensions have been rising since a Nigerian man was stabbed to death last week
and five others were wounded.
Soon after the killing, nearly 200 Nigerians blocked Goa's main highway for
several hours to protest against the killing, and police arrested 53 of the
protesters.
Police blamed the killing on rivalry between local and Nigerian drug
traffickers, and Goa's Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar asked the police to track
down Nigerians living illegally in the state and deport them.
'Salt on their wounds'
There are about 40,000 Nigerians living in India and Mr Amaku says he is
concerned about the safety of his people.
Indians need to understand that a large number of Nigerians are living
legally in India and even if some are living illegally, there are laws in place
to deal with that and those should be implemented," Mr Amaku told BBC Hindi.
He criticised the Goan authorities for plans to deport those living illegally
in India.
"If Nigerians are living illegally you don't wait till their compatriot is
murdered before you go around picking them up and threatening them with
deportation - that is like rubbing salt on their wounds."
Earlier in the week, another Nigerian diplomat had warned of repercussions
against Indians living in Nigeria if Goa did not stop "evicting Nigerians" from
the state and failed to arrest the killers.
More than 800,000 Indians live in Nigeria and they own approximately 100,000
businesses there.
Mr Amaku said the official's statement was made in the context of the murder
and that he felt "aggrieved" like all other members of the Nigerian
community.
Indian foreign ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said he was sure that the
row could be settled "amicably".
"We have been assured that the investigation (into the murder) is under way,"
news agency AFP quoted him as saying.
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