The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission has raised alarm over the detention of six Nigerian tourists by immigration officers in Cape Verde.
In a statement shared on Wednesday via its official X (formerly Twitter) handle, the commission said the Nigerians were on vacation and had travelled from Senegal to Cape Verde before they were stopped on arrival.
According to NiDCOM, the Cape Verdean immigration officials accused the tourists of not having enough money for their trip. Their mobile phones were also taken away, and they were held in a detention centre at the airport.
The detained tourists were named as David James Udoh, Lily Dada, Oghenero Adaware, Sherifat Abimbola Ogundairo, and Jesutomi Aina. They were said to be travelling with a representative from Ìrìn Travels, the travel agency that organised the trip.
The commission said, “Upon arrival in Cape Verde, they were pulled out of the queue, accused of not having enough funds, and had their phones confiscated. They were subsequently detained at an immigration deportation camp at the airport.”
NiDCOM also expressed concern that one of the travellers has a medical condition and has not been able to access proper treatment or medication since being detained.
The commission has urged Cape Verdean authorities to treat the Nigerians with respect and ensure their safety. It also called for the tourists to be returned immediately to Senegal so they can continue their journey back home to Nigeria.
NiDCOM added that it would continue to follow up on the matter and ensure justice is served.
