Eko Hot Blog reports that the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia has disclosed the reason for cancelling the visas of 264 Nigerians upon entry into the country.
It would be recalled that the Saudi Arabian government had cancelled the visa of all the 264 passengers airlifted by Nigeria’s major carrier, Air Peace, on arrival at the country from Kano, insisting that they be returned to Nigeria.
The flight took off from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, via the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport on Sunday night and landed at King Abdul-Aziz International Airport, Jeddah.
It was gathered when the Nigerian embassy waded into the situation, the Saudi authorities reduced the number of passengers that would be returned to 177 from 264.
Nigerians Deported by Saudi Authority
However, in a statement released on Wednesday, the Saudi Embassy said the Nigerians who were deported didn’t fulfil the entry conditions and requirements by the applicable rules and regulations of the Kingdom.
The statement added the deportation of the passengers was not targeting Nigerians.
The statement reads: “The passengers who were denied entry and subsequently deported to their initial destinations didn’t fulfil 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.
“This procedure was not limited to Nigerian citizens only, but rather to citizens of other countries.”
The Royal Saudi Embassy also issued cautionary measures for applicants wishing to visit the Arabian Peninsula.
It added: “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.
“Furthermore, all passengers should review all the documents to determine their conformity with the conditions before departing from their countries to the Kingdom.”
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