The NIDCOM claimed that its investigations revealed that over 100 Nigerians who had served various jail sentences were those who stormed the Nigerian consulate in Dubai, asking the mission to “immediately brings them back.”
The Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, NIDCOM, Abike Dabiri-Erewa has asked Nigerian citizens stranded in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, to stop blackmailing their home and host countries.
The NIDCOM claimed that its investigations revealed that over 100 Nigerians who had served various jail sentences were those who stormed the Nigerian consulate in Dubai, asking the mission to “immediately brings them back.”
Dabiri, in a statement signed by the spokesman of NIDCOM, Abdul-Rahman Balogun on Thursday, said many of the stranded persons were illegal migrants who had been jailed for several crimes in their host country.
“Rather than complying with the directives of the Nigerian consulate in Dubai, some Nigerians were busy pursuing a media blackmail of the Federal Government as well as the UAE government. This media blackmail, she said, will make an already bad case, worse, noting that rules on such cases would not be circumvented.
“Recall several warnings to Nigerians, particularly on the zero tolerance of the UAE for the consequences of flouting their rules.
“Investigations also revealed that over 100 Nigerians who had served various jail sentences (ranging from drugs to credit card frauds, robberies, etc.) suddenly landed at the holding centres, demanding of the Nigerian consulate in Dubai to ‘immediately bring them back’. Their voices have been the loudest,” the statement read in part.
She added that the allegation that Nigerians were abandoned in Dubai was untrue and misleading as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Nigerian Mission had been working assiduously with the UAE authorities to assist over 300 Nigerians stranded in the country for various reasons, ranging from overstay, lost passports, lack of documentation especially in the case of infants, to pending cases with the Emirati Police.
“In line with its citizens’ diplomacy, the Federal Government approved the evacuation of over 300 Nigerians stranded in the UAE. Regrettably, many of those affected have not been cooperative as they refused to follow the laid down procedures.
“She advised Nigerians so affected to comply with the laid down rules and regulations as stipulated by the UAE and the Nigeria Consulate in Dubai, and await further communication from officials of the mission who have constantly visited them at the holding centre.”