Four hundred Nigerians, including 90 females and 310 males, have been deported from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and have arrived back in Nigeria.
The deportees landed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on September 11, 2024.
The deportation was carried out by the UAE authorities amid ongoing diplomatic tensions between Nigeria and the UAE. This latest development follows a series of previous deportations, with 190 Nigerians repatriated from the UAE in July 2024.
Upon arrival, the deportees were received by officials from the Office of the National Security Adviser, working in conjunction with several agencies including the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
The diplomatic relationship between Nigeria and the UAE has been strained over the past two years. One of the major issues has been the suspension of Emirates Airline flights to Nigeria due to a financial dispute involving the Central Bank of Nigeria’s failure to remit approximately $85 million in revenue to the UAE.
Despite recent progress in negotiations, including Nigeria’s payment of 98% of the $850 million owed to the UAE, the diplomatic discord has persisted.
