UK, others deport 85 Nigerians

Posted by admin Headlines Thursday, February 10th, 2011

THEY had gone in search of their fortunes, but little did they know that their journey to Europe would later turn sour. That was the lot of 85 Nigerians that were deported to the country early yesterday from Europe.

Among the deportees were 56 males, 19 females and 10 children who were said to have committed several immigration offences, credit card fraud, and other social vices.

The children were a pitiable sight to behold, as some of them of about 10 and 15 years old gazed into space, not sure of what the future held for them.

The Guardian learnt that the deportees arrived as early as 6:45a.m. yesterday on a chartered flight with registration number TCX542/5, operated by Thomas Cook, a United Kingdom-based carrier.

They arrived through the cargo area of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos with most of them waiting to board cabs to their different destinations.

When The Guardian got to the area around 8:40 a.m., some of them were seen lamenting their ordeal, while others took their fate calmly, promising to perfect their papers with a view to going back.

An immigration source said the development was a routine that had continued to dent the image of the country, stressing that based on that, the Service tried to dissuade people with no concrete business abroad from travelling.

It was leant that relations of some of the deportees were available to pick their wards; an indication that they may have been contacted on the day of their deportation to the country.

-Guardianwp_posts