Dr. Onimode Bandele, Deputy Director, Search and Rescue, of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said on Wednesday that 41 Nigerians were deported from the United Kingdom for various immigration offences had arrived the country.
Bandele received the deportees at the Muritala Muhammed International Airport (MMlA) Lagos.
Bandele added that the 33 adult males and 8 female deportees arrived the country aboard a chartered aircraft at about 8AM.
“From the manifest with me, 41 Nigerians are on board and according to the British High Commission in Nigeria, they were deported because they committed various immigration offences. As a responsible government, we cannot just leave our citizens to enter the country without giving them a good welcome. Also, we want to let them know that the country they left years ago, is different from what they are returning to,” Bandele said.
He stressed that Nigeria had moved ahead since the deportees left the country, adding that everybody has equal opportunities under the present government.
Bandele advised Nigerians to stay in the country and develop it.
He, however, said that the deportees will be given stipends to facilitate their transportation to their various destinations.
NAN reports that other agencies who were at the airport to receive the deportees included officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) and Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).
See photos below:
PIC.5. Some of the Nigerians deported from the United Kingdom alight from the aircraft on their arrival at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos on Wednesday (1/2/17). 00857/1/2/2017/Wasiu Zubair/BJO/NANPIC.6. Nigerians deported from the United Kingdom sorting their luggage on their arrival at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos on Wednesday (1/2/17). 00857/1/2/2017/Wasiu Zubair/BJO/NAN
