NIGERIA STUDENT DEATHS IN NORTH CYPRUS — What is going on?

The website 'Study in North Cyprus' describes the territory as a “student paradise”, but the recent murder of another Nigerian student in Northern Cyprus – in this case at the hands of fellow Africans – continues to raise questions about the quality of life for African students in the self-declared republic.

The body of Obasanjo Adeola Owoyale, a 33-year-old Nigerian doctoral student of architecture at Cyprus International University, was found on 8 July in the boot of his car. A week later, nine Africans were arrested in connection with his killing, according tonews reports.

The death of Owoyale follows periodic murders of African students in Northern Cyprus, including 25-year-old Nigerian student Walshak Augustine Ngok in April (reportedly at the hands of his African flatmate during a fight about a woman) and 28-year-old Kennedy Dede in January 2018 who was allegedly killed by a group of locals.

In addition, several recent media reports have outlined the difficult situation facing African students, particularly those from Nigeria, in Northern Cyprus. Many studentsreport being lured to the countryby its booming higher education industry but face hostility from locals – a small population which numbers just over 300,000 – andfinancial hardship.

Northern Cyprus, officially theTurkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, comprises the northeastern portion of the island of Cyprus. Recognised only by Turkey, Northern Cyprus is considered by the international community to be part of the Republic of Cyprus.

According to a local academic, reports of crime in Northern Cyprus are overblown.

"Northern Cyprus remains one of the regions with the lowest crime rates around the world and these incidents should not be used to paint a different picture," Cem Tanova, professor of management in the faculty of business and economics at the Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU), a public university in Famagusta, Northern Cyprus, toldUniversity World News.

"The fact is that in all these [murder] incidents [involving Nigerians] the suspects were quickly identified, arrested and brought before the court," Tanova said.

"Unfortunately, the Western media seems to enjoy depicting alternative, non-Western higher education destinations negatively … The truth is that there is indeed a success story about a location that has been able to provide affordable and accessible higher education in Northern Cyprus. The local institutions, especially the public university – Eastern Mediterranean University – are aware and are working with student representatives, faculty unions, and other officials to ensure that any problems related to a rapid increase of student numbers are managed effectively," he said.

He said surveys of student satisfaction and “our own observations” show that students are satisfied with the quality of education and living, and that no one group of people is at greater risk than another.

Influx of international students

However, questions are being asked about the “uncontrolled” nature of student growth.

According to Esra Aygin, writing in the Nicosia-basedCyprus Mailnewspaper last month, the higher education sector is one of the “engines” of the Turkish Cypriot economy and has “grown in an uncontrolled fashion in the last decade as one university after another opened its doors to a flood of overseas students”.

Aygin said the number of foreign students increased sevenfold from around 5,000 in 2010 to over 35,000 last year. Some 20,000 of those foreign students are from African countries, mostly Nigeria.

The'Study in North Cyprus'website puts the total number of students at 88,000 from 135 different countries and the number of major universities at 16. A local source in the higher education sector said the total number of students, including local students, was around 75,000 and there were 19 universities – most of which were private.

Tanova said the influx of international students in Cyprus and other new destinations around the world is “partly due to the fact that the traditional international student destinations such as North America and Western Europe have seen increasing xenophobia fuelled by leaders blaming immigration for their nations’ problems".

Defending the quality of education in Northern Cyprus, he said the EMU has been listed among the best universities in the world by theTimes Higher Educationrankingsand highly rated by the QS forteaching and inclusiveness.

"Perhaps it would be very costly and difficult for an international student to attend a university with a similar ranking and the same type of accreditation in other countries," Tanova said.

“Due to the fact that the ratio of international students is much higher in Northern Cyprus, the universities develop their structures to provide more extracurricular and student support to international students," he said.

Nigerian students in Cyprus

A current rector of a university in Northern Cyprus who requested anonymity admitted toUniversity World Newsthat there had been “problems with foreign students at times, especially with African students".

The rector said there were three main types of Nigerian students coming to Northern Cyprus. The first includes genuine students from relatively well-to-do families who may take part-time work and create no problems. The second comes with good intentions but does not have sufficient funds to study, and they have no financial support from their parents.

“Some of these students are misled by the agents who send them, believing that they can work and earn enough money to support their studies. Unfortunately most of these students are not able to pay their university fees after a few semesters and many of them drop out.

“These students are the ones creating the most problems. They get involved with gangs dealing in drugs and other illegal activities. Most European countries would deport these students in a short time. But authorities in Northern Cyprus are not well organised so these ‘students’ overstay and run into problems.”

A third type uses their student identity to enter the country to find work illegally or move to south Cyprus. “Some of these people also get involved in illegal activities," the rector said.

"The most important thing is to deport those who are not real students or who are not able to attend the universities. These actions must be taken in cooperation with Nigerian authorities.”

Denying allegations of “uncontrolled” growth in the higher education sector, the rector said while most universities are private and try to enroll as many students as possible, authorities in both Northern Cyprus and Turkey have tightened regulations.

“Turkish higher education authority YÖK does not recognise five of the universities. These universities cannot admit students from Turkey, and universities without Turkish students are not likely to survive for long. On the other hand Northern Cyprus Higher Education Authority YÖDAK has introduced a new bylaw which sets academic admittance levels for foreign students.

“Most universities have very good infrastructure and some have a lot of their programmes accredited by international bodies. So, we have problems but to say that the growth is in 'an uncontrolled fashion' is not very fair.”

Former Nigerian students

A past student leader at EMU toldUniversity World Newsthat, in general, African students face the same problems as other international students in Northern Cyprus.

Salim Hamza Ringim, a former president of the Nigerian Students Society at EMU, toldUniversity World News: "African students should stay away from all illegal activities and abide by the rules and regulations of the country and face their primary assignment.”

"There is no unity and cooperation among African students and we need a strong association that will bring all African students together on the island. This association will be the voice of all Africans," Ringim said.

Victor Ika, the current president of the Nigerian Students Society at EMU, suggested that the financial problems experienced by Nigerians in Northern Cyprus were partly a product of poor economies back home.

"A problem facing many Africans, and Nigerians students in particular, especially since the recession hit the country four years ago, is finances – which has nothing to do with the Cyprus government but our government back home.

"Hopefully, things get better but it is a problem that jobs are not available and the ones that are available are only available to those who are registered students.

"The government is also not putting a check on the working conditions in some of the places where students are employed and this has given rise to a lot of reports of abuse and racism.

"The government has to make ways to empower students, especially those who are gifted and for some reason cannot continue due to financial issues," Ika said.

"Also, the communication lines between law enforcement and the general public has to be improved to better serve the international students. It's bad enough having to deal with bad news of a fellow Nigerian student, but what is worse is not knowing what is going on with the case and then not hearing anything about it anymore. That has to be addressed.

"Cyprus is a beautiful country with problems that can be easily solved if attention is paid in the right places," he said.

Another former Nigerian student president at EMU from 2012-13, Jocknom Kotty, said at least two Nigerian students died during his time in office.

While racism was “still in effect in Northern Cyprus", Kotty said he believed that most of the confrontation leading to deaths of African students, especially Nigerians, was triggered by trivial issues such as rivalry over women.

1. He said the universities should be responsible for the well-being of their students and work in collaboration with the police.