By Jefferson Ibiwale, Benin

The bereaved parent of 20-year-old Gabriel Peremiyentei Sorowei, a 100-level Electrical/Electronic Engineering student of Cyprus International University, in North Cyprus, who was allegedly killed by a drunken woman driver, has warned Nigerians to be wary of the institution.

Patrick Dubamini Sorowei, father of the deceased gave the warning Tuesday in Benin while addressing journalists over the death of his son, alleging that the university was not among the tertiary institutions on the country’s ministry of education list.

Sorowei said he was briefed by staff of the school last Saturday that his son had been hit down by a drunken woman-driver on July 13, 2013 and eventually died on September 7, 2013 but that the government of the area where his son lived which is governed by Turkish Republic is shielding his son’s killer as it has refused him access to her neither has it prosecuted her.

“I demanded to see the woman that knocked down my son, but the Turkish police bluntly refused. My contact in the place said the police is doing nothing about the matter. The authorities of the Cyprus International University sent Gabriel’s corpse to Nigeria as a cargo on September 12, 2013 without his belongings.

The father said following the intervention by the House of Representatives’ Committee on Diaspora, the University sent about half of his son’s belongings to Nigeria in December 2013.

“A bank statement of my boy’s account showed that while the boy was involved in the accident on the July 13, 2013 and was in coma, between July 15, 2013 and July 16, 2013, the entire money in the boy’s account had been withdrawn, meanwhile, his ATM card was with the Nicosia Police,” he alleged.

Sorowei said he was sharing his story to serve as deterrent to other parents whose children were running various programmes at the university, as there were about 700 Nigerians in the school.

“As I am talking to you, we have over 700 Nigerian students in the school and more could still be going. We have to do everything to stop them. We are informing Nigerians that the place is dangerous. Politically, that country is not recognized by any nation,” he warned.

Chairman, House committee on Diaspora, Abike Dabiri, had drawn the attention of Nigerians to a suspicious move by the authorities of the Cyprus International University, to lure Nigerian students to the university.

She noted that apart from Sorowei , a Bayelsa born Musician, Stanley Ateimo, was also murdered on August 12, 2013 because of a disagreement he had with a white student over a girl in Nicosia.

“The team from Cyprus International University, Nicosia, North Cyprus held a seminar at Rockview Hotel on January 14, 2014 to lure Nigerian students to their university and they are currently heading to Kaduna, Port Harcourt and Uyo. They left out Benin and Bayelsa because the late Soriwe is from Benin and Stanley is from Bayelsa State,” she said.