The
United Kingdom (UK) and Australia yesterday jointly deported 40 Nigerians for
immigration offences.
The
deportees, comprising men and women, arrived at the Hajj camp area of the
Murtala Muhammed International Airport at 7:25am on a chartered aircraft.
It
was learnt that the chartered aircraft with the registration number ZTA-4741
had on board 36 Nigerians – 29 males and seven females.
Also,
Air Seychelles with the registration number SND-1 brought four males into the
country for similar immigration offences.
The
two countries also deported some Ghanaians, Liberians and Egyptians.
The
returnees were received by agencies like the Police, National Agency for
Protection and Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and Nigerian Immigration Service
(NIS). They checked their identities to ascertain their nationalities.
A
source close to the terminal said some of the deportees complained when
officers of the NIS attempted to collect their fingerprints.
The
source added that others, who didn’t kick against the taking of the
fingerprints, were attended to and allowed to leave the airport after the
completion of their documentations.
At
the Hajj and cargo terminal, where they used as exit, the deportees looked
sobre and refused to speak with our correspondent when approached.
Some
of them were seeing boarding vehicles out of the airport. Others discussed in
groups.
The
deportees, it was gathered, were repatriated from their host countries for
overstaying their visas and other immigration offences.
NIS
Public Relations Officer Mr. Ekpedeme King confirmed the deportation to when
contacted on phone. But he could not give more details
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