Nigerian Immigration reacts to Davido's claims of harrassment by their officers

A few days ago, Davido tweeted that he missed his flight to London
because of immigration officers who were harassing him at the Murtala
Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja because of money. The Nigerian
Immigration Service has responded to Davido's claims.

In a statement released today by the NIS Public Relations Officer,
Emeka Obua, they said Davido had approached immigration officers at
MMIA on the fateful day with the intention of travelling out of the
country and presented a US passport number 460918874 issued at Georgia
on Dec. 14, 2009 and valid till December 14, 2019.

It explained that the officer that attended to him drew his attention
to the fact that his US passport had no Nigerian visa on it with which
he would have been admitted into the country, and Davido reportedly
responded that he had a Nigerian passport but forgot it at home.
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The statement said,
"The officer now informed him that he should go and bring the Nigerian
passport to convince him that he did not enter Nigeria illegally with
a foreign passport without visa. Adeleke started arguing with the
officer, who had to refer the case to his superiors and the verdict
was that he could not make the trip unless he produced the said
Nigerian passport.

"Livid with anger, Adeleke, in company with his bodyguards, started
protesting in a disorderly manner, prompting the Comptroller of
Immigration in-charge at MMIA to intervene. He advised Adeleke to call
his bodyguards to order (caution) and comply with the lawful
instruction which would not only erase any doubt as to his immigration
status but also establish his claim to dual citizenship."Davido was
said to have left and on the following day produced his Nigerian
e-passport with number A02227477 issued at Abuja on August13, 2010 and
valid till August 12, 2015.
The NIS stated that the passport was endorsed and the artiste then
proceeded on his trip.

The statement added,
"This behaviour of Adeleke is quite unfortunate. One would ordinarily
have expected some form of commendation from him for the professional
manner the officers, who attended to him, conducted themselves
especially in saving him from embarrassment at some international
port of entry by ensuring that his passport is endorsed as is the law
and practice in Nigeria .

"The intention of this statement is not to to join issues with Mr.
Adeleke but to set the facts of the incident, as it happened at MMIA
on the said day straight."

Source: Punch