The Nigeria Immigration Service says it has the detailed documentation of the numerous nationals that were repatriated from Gabon to Nigeria.
This was revealed on Tuesday by the Comptroller of Immigration Service, Cross River State Command, Funke Adeuyi, on Sunrise Daily.
Speaking on behalf of the Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Service, she clarified, “Between June 22 to December 25, 2015, we had five series of deportations of Nigerians and ECOWAS nationals from Gabon arriving the Calabar Seaport.”
Adeuyi added that before the arrival of the deportees, the agents of the vessels conveying them had sent their Passengers Manifest to the Immigration service.
She noted further that all deportees were well managed while the agency made sure that their necessary immigration clearance were properly done.
“We receive them promptly, we profile them promptly, we ensure that their proper necessary immigration clearance were done and we ensure that promptly, we put them in available buses to move them out to their nearest crossing point,” Adeuyi clarified while restating that they have the biometrics of the five chains of deportation.
Crossing Point
The Immigration personnel said that the representatives of other countries received their respective nationals while the Nigerians were allowed to go reunite with their families.
“At every crossing point, representative of their country – ambassadors or continent will always be there to receive them.
“But for the Nigerians, you cannot stop them from coming home whether their families are there or not,” she said.
Adeuyi also disclosed that there has been no case of stateless persons.
“Before they come, the respective embassies and consulates in Gabon would have equally been served the lists (and) they inform their ambassadors here in Nigeria,” she explained.
The Immigration officer added that the ambassadors would have identified their nationals on the lists, stressing that the agency has no right to query their nationality.