16th January, 2014
The House of Representatives has warned Nigerian parents against sending their children and wards to Universities and other higher institutions in Cyprus.
Abike Dabiri-Erewa, chairperson House Committee on Diaspora, warned Nigerians to beware of what she described as ongoing suspicious move by the authorities of Cyprus International University, Nicosia, North Cyprus, to lure students from Nigeria to their university.
The Committee said its warning was based on the fuzzy circumstances in which Gabriel Sowerei, a student of CIU,Nicosia, North Cyprus, as one Gabriel Soriwei recently died.
“Gabriel Soriwei,20 years, was a first year student of Electrical/Electronic Engineering at the Cyprus International University, Nicosia, North Cyprus. 
“The university alleged he was knocked down by by a female drunk driver in July 17,2013.
“The university in connivance with the North Cyprus police, released the driver and shielded her identity from the family.
“Till date, there has not been a word of condolence to the family. His corpse was sent as an unaccompanied cargo to the grieving family, without any of his belongings.
“The Soriwei family have since buried their son and have not been reached by authorities of CIU four months after, and have expressed pain at the callousness of the university authorities.
“The committee also notes that apart from Soriwei, a Bayelsa-born musician, Stanley Oteimo, 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 CIU held a seminar at Rockview hotel, Abuja 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 Soriwei was from Benin and Stanley was from Bayelsa State.
“From all indications, studying in this university, CIU, is not safe in particular and and Nicosia, North Cyprus in General, is also dangerous for our students.
“The House Committee also notes that North Cyprus is not recognised by Nigeria and all other countries in the world except Turkey,” the House Committee concluded.