Alarming rate of Nigerians deported in the last 12 months

By Adelani Adepegba, Abuja   Friday, 8 Oct 2010
No fewer than 5,273 Nigerians were deported by Italy, Spain, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, and Ireland between September 2009 and August 2010, the Nigerian Immigration Service has said. A breakdown of the figure showed that 3,636 were males, 1,553 were female, while 84 were minors. The Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Service, Mrs. Rose Uzoma gave the figure in her office in Abuja on Thursday at a meeting with members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers to address the problem of human trafficking in Nigeria. Uzoma said the situation was impacting negatively on the reputation of the country and stated the need for the collaborative effort of all stakeholders in the transport industry to stem the evil malaise of human trafficking. The CGI explained that NIS was collaborating with the union because they knew the many irregular routes often used by human traffickers and trans-border criminals. She urged the NURTW members to partner with the service to reduce, if not eliminate the phenomenon in the country, adding that they have critical roles to play in the maintenance of security and protection of the national interest. ”We are worried at the rate Nigerians are being deported all over the world; we are worried about the reputation of some Nigerians as prostitutes abroad, we have our children been smuggled out of the country. Every week Nigerians are being kept in prisons and flown back into the country in undesirable circumstances. Many Nigerians are languishing in prison and this has to be stopped,” Uzoma said.