The Nigerian Immigration Service has denied Davido’s recent claims that officials allegedly extorted him and caused him to miss a flight to London last week. Reacting to the pop singer’s claims, the NIS Public Relations Officer Emeka Obua said Davido couldn’t travel out because he did not provide his Nigerian passport to Immigration officers at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport.
According to Obua, Davido only presented his US passport and was asked to present his Nigerian passport to convince them he legally travelled into Nigeria. But Davido said he forgot it at home. He left and returned the next day, presented his Nigerian passport and proceeded with his trip. ‘
The officer informed him that he should go and bring the Nigerian passport to convince him that he did not enter Nigeria illegally with a foreign passport without visa. Adeleke started arguing with the officer, who had to refer the case to his superiors and the verdict was that he could not make the trip unless he produced the said Nigerian passport,’ Obua said in a statement released to Punch Newspaper.
‘Livid with anger, Adeleke, in company of his bodyguards, started protesting in a disorderly manner, prompting the Comptroller of Immigration in-charge at MMIA to intervene. He advised Adeleke to call his bodyguards to order (caution) and comply with the lawful instruction which would not only erase any doubt as to his immigration status but also establish his claim to dual citizenship.’ Davido is a dual Citizen of the US and Nigeria.
According to the NIS, his passport details are: Davido’s Nigerian Passport Details: Passport Number – A02227477. Issued at Abuja, Nigeria. Valid from August 13, 2010 till August 12, 2015. Davido’s US Passport Details: Passport Number – 460918874. Issued at Georgia, US. Valid from December 14, 2009 till December 14, 2019.
The NIS further described Davido’s behaviour as unfortunate as they would have expected him to give the officers props for saving him from embarrassment at the airport. ‘The intention of this statement is not to join issues with Mr Adeleke but to set the facts of the incident, as it happened at MMIA on the said day straight,’ the statement ended. NET tried to reached out to Davido’s manager and publicist but had not received any response as at the time of this report.
