The Lagos Airport Command of the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS has refused departure of 58 Nigerian Doctors who attempted to travel to UK through the Murtala Mohammed International Airport Lagos.
Immigration says 56 of the Doctors had no visa for entry into the United Kingdom, while only 2 had visa.
The NIS in a statement says the 58 medical doctors were refused departure in line with Section 31 subsection 2a and b of the Immigration Act 2015 which confers powers on the Comptroller-General to prohibit departure of any person under the conditions stated in the Act.
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The chartered flight approved for landing in Nigeria was to carry 42 medical doctors for a training program but they were 58 with only 2 having a visa for entry into the UK, a situation that calls for refusal of departure.
The NIS stated that as the agency saddled with control of entry and departure of persons from Nigeria, it will not allow individuals or groups of well-educated Nigerians who should know the procedures for travelling out of their country and the requirements, which include having a valid visa for entry into a destination country to leave.
This is to avoid refusal of entry and repatriation back to Nigeria amidst Covid-19 pandemic and spreading of same as well as flouting the Federal Government’s directive on the restriction of international flights unless for an essential reason as approved by the government.
The NIS noted that there is no official communication to the Service from the Federal Ministry of Health in Nigeria or any known medical body notifying the NIS of the travel of this number of medical doctors. The chartered aircraft has departed for London without the medical doctors.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
