Deportation racket: FG asked to probe Nigerian High Commission in UK

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…fears 500 Nigerians to be illegally repatriated

National president, Civil Liberties Organisation, CLO, Igho Akeregha, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently probe the activities of the country’s London High Commission over the planned deportation of 500 Nigerians from UK on 24, November 2015.

Speaking yesterday at a media briefing Lagos, Akeregha stated that CLO has cause to believe that most of the Nigerians to be repatriated on Tuesday were victims of underhand dealings of a syndicate allegedly involving corrupt Nigerian immigration officers and foreign collaborators in the UK office of the Nigerian embassy.

“There is a need to draw the attention of President Buhari, the Controller General, CG, Immigration, CG, Customs and other relevant officers at the country’s entry points to the wicked and noxious plan by authorities in UK and corrupt officials at the Nigerian High Commission in UK to unlawfully deport some Nigerians on Tuesday 24, 2015,” said the CLO president.

Though Akherega acknowledges the right of countries to repatriate illegal immigrants causing nuisance within their territory, he pointed out that where such actions are done, due process and transparency should be followed.

CLO says that it is particularly peeved at reports that a certain deputy immigration attaché at the Nigerian High Commission in London is being allegedly linked to corruption and fraud in the illegal deportation of Nigerians. It was alleged that the officer is believed to cream off the 3, 000 pounds sterling paid on every deportee by the UK authorities as means of ameliorating any sufferings of the deportee. CLO says that the theft of the money is being done with active connivance with some UK officials.

Apart from short changing deportees of their money, the female official (name withheld) is also accused of going out of her way to lure unwary immigrant in UK into a trap where they are seized and deported straight to Nigeria while she takes the money allotted to the unfortunate individual so repatriated.

“There are instances where immigrants whose papers expired or with minor hitches in their documentation and waiting rectification at the appropriate agencies in UK are made victims,” added the CLO president.

Sunday Mirror learnt that these activities have come under intense scrutiny of Alexia Thomas, Chairman of The Commonwealth Liberation Party, TCLP, in the UK. Through his activism, Virgin Atlantic, an international airline owned by Sir Richard Branson, pulled out of the business of repatriating Nigerians from UK.

CLO therefore urges government to, as a matter of urgency; detain any airliner that brings the 500 Nigerians into the country so as to thoroughly investigate the matter.