2 weeks Ago By Stella Omona
ABUJA – The Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike DabiriI-Erewa has appealed to Cape Verde Authorities to return the detained Nigerian tourists to Nigeria. She said that the matter has also been reported to the Consular and Migration directorate in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The six Nigerian tourists were said to have travelled from Senegal to Cape Verde Island on a vacation but on their arrival at Cape Verde, they were pulled out of the line and accused of not having enough funds.
The Cape Verde Authorities thus had their phones confiscated. The NiDCOM boss in a statement on Wednesday said; “We appeal to the Immigration authorities in Cape Verde to please treat the tourists with respect and dignity and put them on the next immediate return flight to Dakar for onward connection back to Nigeria.” The statement reads in parts; “The attention of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) has been drawn to a case of six Nigerians tourists that travelled from Senegal to Cape Verde Island on a vacation, On arrival at Cape Verde, they were pulled out of the line.
They were accused of not having enough funds and their phones confiscated. They were subsequently locked up in an immigration deportation camp at the airport . “Reports from the immigration detention centre indicate that they are going through distress and trauma with one of them having a medical condition without access to his drugs.
“The families of these young Nigerians ranging between 25 and 31 years have been expectedly worried about the safety of their children. “The tourists are David James Udoh, Lily Dada, Oghenero Adaware, Sherifat Abimbola Ogundairo and Jesutomi Aina, and the travel agent / tourist company, ìrìn travels (@irintravels and (@theFARAWAY ).”.
