Saudi authorities justifies deportation of Nigerians

By Linus Aleke, Abuja

The Saudi Arabian authorities yesterday justified the controversial deportation of Nigerians at the point of entry into their country.

The Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in a statement in Abuja, insisted that the procedure that led to the deportation of Nigerians was not limited to Nigeria alone.

The statement reads: “The Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Abuja would like to make a clarification about the media reports and Social Media releases concerning the deportation of Nigerian citizens at the point of entry into the Kingdom.

“The passengers who were denied entry, and subsequently deported to their initial destinations, didn’t fulfill the entry conditions and requirements in accordance with the applicable rules and regulations of the Kingdom, as they submitted incorrect information to obtain a category of visa that doesn’t apply to them, which was discovered upon their arrival.
“The Royal Embassy would like to stress the importance of following the procedures and laws enacted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for all visitors.”

The statement further explained that all passengers should review all the documents to determine their conformity with the conditions prior to departing from their countries to the Kingdom, noting that this procedure was not limited to Nigerian citizens alone, but to citizens of other countries.