The Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia has clarified the deportation of 264 Nigerians, stating that it was not targeted at Nigerians but due to passengers submitting incorrect information.
Gatekeepers News reports that the embassy explained that the individuals didn’t fulfill entry conditions, providing inaccurate information to obtain a visa category that didn’t apply to them.
The embassy also emphasized that this procedure applied to citizens of various countries.
On Monday, The Saudi Arabian government cancelled the visa of all the 264 passengers airlifted by Nigeria’s major carrier, Air Peace, on arrival at the country from Kano, insisting that they be returned to Nigeria.
Addressing the issue on Wednesday, the Saudi Embassy said, “The passengers who were denied entry, and subsequently deported to their initial destinations, didn’t fulfil the entry conditions and requirements in accordance with the applicable rules and regulations of the Kingdom, as they submitted incorrect information to obtain a category of visa that doesn’t apply to them, which was discovered upon their arrival.”
“This procedure was not limited to Nigerian citizens only, but rather to citizens of other countries.”
Special Adviser on Media and Communications Strategy to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, said that the Ministry is investigating the matter to assess potential rule violations, aiming to mitigate such impacts on citizens in the future in line with what was described as the Four Ds strategy of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The Saudi Embassy urged travelers to adhere to procedures and laws when visiting.
“The Royal Embassy would like to stress the importance of following the procedures and laws enacted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for all visitors,” it also read.
“Furthermore, all passengers should review all the documents to determine their conformity with the conditions before departing from their countries to the Kingdom.”
