The reason for the mass deportation of Nigerians by the UK authorities has been revealed as the many stranded deportees bemoan their fate.
According to BBCnews quoting UK officials, a total of 46 Nigerians were deported from the UK to Lagos today - not about 500 as is being reported in Nigeria. The deported Nigerians arrived at about 6:30 a.m aboard a chartered B767 aircraft belonging to PITAN Airways.
Many of the deportees were bundled into Nigeria because of contravening British laws ranging from criminal offences, breach of UK immigration laws or obtaining permission to stay in the UK through deception. Most of the deportees were stranded at the airport, some carrying ghana-must-go bags and looking dejected.
pictures from bbc/twitter showing some of the deportees
NAN reports that they were received and screened at the cargo terminal of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport by officials of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS). Most of the stranded deportees had to call their friends and family in shame because the UK authorities did not allow them carry their properties or valuables home.
The source also revealed that some of the deportees who committed criminal offences were handed over to officers from the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Alagbon, Ikoyi, Lagos.
The source noted that FAAN was expecting no fewer than 500 deportees, adding that this was only the first batch.
It would be recalled that the Acting Nigerian High Commissioner to the UK, Mr Olukunle Bamgbose, had recently disclosed that the UK Government had plans to deport about 29,000 Nigerians but called on the British authorities to follow due process.