45 DEPORTEES: Diplomatic row brews between Nigeria, UK

The deportation of 45 Nigerians by the British government is snowballing into what may become a diplomatic row between both countries.

Without prior information to the Nigerian government, the United Kingdom deported about 42 Nigerians on allegations they committed undisclosed crimes, including immigration offences.

The deportees who were brought into the country in the early morning of Thursday are made up of 33 male adults, 10 females and two children, who arrived the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos with a chartered aircraft.

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It was learnt that the Nigerian High Commission’s office in London had said it had no prior knowledge of the deportation, which might lead to a protest letter to be sent to the British government soon.

But the UK immigration officials say deporting the Nigerians was not in violation of any diplomatic rules as there is an understanding between the two that nobody with criminal records would be harboured in either country.

One of the deportees, who gave her name as Grace said she was picked from her workplace in East London and bundled to the airport, en-route Lagos.

“I did not violate any law, I entered the UK with a working Visa more than five years ago, which had not expired,” she said.

Another deportee said: “I’ve actually spent seven years in the UK before I was arrested by the security authorities at my workplace.

With this now, I won’t be able to return to that country. I just hope that our government can make the country comfortable for its citizenry as a lot of us want to work to earn a living outside its shores.”

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