South Africa Deports 90 Nigerians

The government of South Africa has deported 90 Nigerians for alleged immigration offences.

The deportees who were all males, arrived with South Africa Airways flight with registration number BBB712 from Johannesburg and landed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos at about 3 pm Friday looked crestfallen and refused to entertain questions from newsmen.

The Nigerians who were dumped at the airport on arrival met with concerned authorities and after started finding their ways to their homes, mostly out of Lagos and were shielding their faces so that they would not be recognised.

The spokesman of the Lagos Airport Police Command, DSP Joseph Alabi who spoke newsmen confirmed the deportation.

Alabi said the deportees, who were all men, landed at the Lagos airport by about 3:30 pm.

He said they were brought back to Nigeria aboard a South African Airways aircraft.

“This afternoon, about 3.30pm, 90 Nigerians were deported from South Africa for committing immigration-related offences.

“Some of them were alleged to have been living in the country without valid documents.

“They were received by the appropriate agencies including the police and profiled before being allowed to depart to their respective destinations, ” Alabi said.

There have been series of deportation of Nigerians from African countries, which gained traction since last year that it is estimated that over 1000 Nigerians may have been deported since late 2015.

South Africa had also on Feb. 28 sent 97 Nigerians back home for committing various offences.

They deportees were made up of 95 males and two females.