424 More Nigerians Arrive In Abuja From Saudi Arabia

Four hundred and twenty-four more Nigerians stranded in Saudi Arabia have arrived in Abuja on Friday.

The Chairman, Nigerians in the Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, made this known via her Twitter handle. “424 more Nigerians stranded in Saudi have arrived Abuja. 

They will proceed on the mandatory 14 days quarantine. We appeal to Nigerians to desist from illegal migration,” she tweeted. The PUNCH reports that 384 Nigerians stranded Nigerians in Saudi Arabia earlier arrived in the country on Thursday. 

 The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had disclosed on Wednesday that 802 Nigerians would return from Saudi Arabia on Thursday and Friday. 

 It said the citizens who were held at various detention centers over migration issues would be received at the NAIA by MFA officials. It also said the returnees would be quarantined at the Federal Capital Territory Hajj camp for 14 days in line with the COVID-19 protocols.

 “They (returnees) will be quarantined at the FCT Hajj camp for a period of 14 days in line with established COVID-19 protocols. Thereafter, the ministry will facilitate their movement to their respective home destinations,” it said. 

 When the first batch of returnees arrived in the country on Thursday, security officers at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, stopped some local media professionals from covering their return. According to the officers, the restriction was based on the orders given to them by the authorities at the airport. 

 A photojournalist with The PUNCH, Olatunji Obasa, said he visited the airport to get images of the returnees but was denied access to the location where Nigerians were. 

 He, however, noted that the security officials only granted access to journalists with BBC, Reuters, TVC, and NAN. 

 When contacted to explain why airport authorities restricted the coverage of the returnees, the NAIA spokesperson, Voke Ivbaze, said she was not aware of the exercise.