The federal government has raised an alarm of being blackmailed by over 100 Nigerians released from prison in United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa warned that these Nigerians who illegally travelled to the Middle-East country and are stranded there, should not make an already bad case worse by resorting to media blackmail.
Reacting to a blog post titled “300 Nigerians abandoned in Dubai as NIDCOM, NAPTIP, Foreign Affairs relax evacuation effort” via a statement released by Spokesman of NiDCOM Chairman, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, Abike revealed that despite several warnings by the Federal Government of Nigeria through its relevant agencies on consequences of illegal migration to the UAE and other countries, it was regrettable that some Nigerians still found themselves as victims of this irregular act.
The statement read;
“In line with its citizens’ diplomacy, the Federal Government had approved the evacuation of over 300 Nigerians stranded in the UAE. Regrettably, many of those affected have not been totally cooperative as they refused to follow the laid down procedures.
“Investigations also revealed that over 100 Nigerians who had served various jail sentences (ranging from drugs to credit card frauds, robberies etc.) suddenly landed at the holding centres , demanding of the Nigerian consulate in Dubai to “immediately “bring them back. Their voices have been the loudest.
“Dabiri-Erewa said rather than complying with the directives of the Nigerian consulate in Dubai ,some Nigerians were busy pursuing a media blackmail of the Federal Government as well as the UAE government. This media blackmail, she said, will make an already bad case worse, noting that rules on such cases would not be circumvented."