The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) have called on authorities in Cape Verde to release six Nigerian tourists currently being held at an immigration deportation facility in the island nation.
In a statement by the Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols Unit of NiDCOM,Abdur-Rahman Balogun the commission revealed that the tourists were travelling from Senegal to Cape Verde for a vacation when they were allegedly profiled at the point of entry, pulled out of the immigration line, and accused of not having sufficient funds. Their phones were reportedly confiscated before they were detained.
According to reports from the detention centre, the Nigerians — aged between 25 and 31 — are being held in distressing conditions without access to legal or consular assistance.
One of them is reportedly suffering from a medical condition and has been denied access to his medication.
The detained individuals were identified as: David James Udoh, Lily Dada, Oghenero Adaware, Sherifat Abimbola Ogundairo and Jesutomi Aina.
The group had reportedly booked their trip through a travel and tourism agency, Ìrìn Travels, which has since raised concerns about the treatment of the travelers.
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NiDCOM confirmed that the issue has been escalated to the Consular and Migration Directorate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for further diplomatic engagement.
Reiterating its commitment to the protection of Nigerians abroad, NiDCOM called on host nations to respect international conventions on the treatment of visitors and migrants
(Editor : Ena Agbanoma)
