Nigeria’s ambassador-designate to Mexico, Reno Omokri, has rejected claims that Mexico is turning Nigeria into a hub for drug-related activities, describing such allegations as misleading and damaging to the long-standing relationship between both countries.
Omokri spoke while responding to concerns raised by a journalist on his social media platform regarding reports linking some Mexican nationals to drug-related offences in Nigeria.
Addressing the issue, the former presidential aide said there was no basis for branding Mexico or its citizens as contributors to criminal activities in Nigeria because of the actions of a few individuals.
According to him, the incidents often cited by critics were isolated cases that should not be used to define relations between two countries that have maintained diplomatic ties for decades.
“There is no truth to such insinuations,” Omokri declared. “Yes, there have been isolated cases involving some individuals, and I think that in our fifty years of bilateral relations with the United Mexican States, such a thing had only happened twice. This indicates that the unfortunate cases were isolated incidents.”
He stressed that both Nigeria and Mexico share a common position against criminality and have no interest in shielding lawbreakers.
“Neither Nigeria nor Mexico want to protect criminals. If individuals break the law, they must face the consequences,” Omokri stated. “But to blame their nations or tar all citizens of that country with the same brush is not expedient. It hurts legitimate business people.”
The ambassador-designate warned against narratives that could create unnecessary tension between both nations, noting that such claims could affect trade, investment opportunities and diplomatic cooperation.
He pointed out that Mexico remains one of the world’s largest economies and an important trading partner for Nigeria.
“Nigerians ought to know that Mexico has a $2 trillion economy and is the thirteenth-largest economy on Earth,” he said. “We have been trading with Mexico for decades, and the trade balance is in our favour. Three times in our favour. So, this is a friendly country, and the Nigerian media should understand the implications for our country of mislabelling a country whose policies towards us have been benevolent.”
Omokri also highlighted the large number of Nigerians residing in Mexico compared to the relatively small Mexican population living in Nigeria.
He said the reality demonstrates why both countries must avoid generalisations when criminal cases arise.
“Might I make you aware that there are 50,000 Nigerian citizens in Mexico, versus only 500 Mexicans in Nigeria,” he noted. “And, sadly, we do have Nigerians, which runs afoul of the law in Mexico. But that country has prudently refrained from defining its bilateral relationship with Nigeria along those lines.”
The ambassador-designate further urged media organisations and public commentators to focus on strengthening diplomatic and economic ties rather than promoting narratives that could damage mutual trust.
He noted that Mexico’s experience in regional trade agreements could offer useful lessons to Nigeria as it seeks to deepen economic integration across Africa.
“People like you, and your newspaper, which I believe is Vanguard, should use your wide reach as the most-read paper in Nigeria to help build our bilateral relations with a country that has made an exponential success out of the NAFTA and USMCA trade agreement, which is something Nigeria would like to achieve with ACFTA,” Omokri said.
Linking the discussion to the Tinubu administration’s economic agenda, Omokri argued that Nigeria should be focused on building strategic partnerships capable of supporting the country’s growth ambitions.
“We have a national ambition under President Tinubu to be a $1 trillion economy by 2031. We should not be undermining our relationship with a $2 trillion economy that can give us valuable, experience-based, practical insight and assistance that will help us attain that vision,” he added.
He concluded by urging Nigerians to separate criminal conduct from nationality, insisting that law enforcement agencies should be allowed to deal with offenders without creating negative perceptions about entire countries.
“Leave the law enforcement agencies in Nigeria to handle isolated cases of criminality unrelated to nationality.”
