The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission has disclosed that 29 Nigerians are still in detention in Mozambique, even as 13 others earlier arrested alongside them have been deported to Nigeria.
The commission’s Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, made this known in a statement issued on Friday, confirming that the deportees arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on March 27, 2026, without any formal charges brought against them.
Balogun explained that the 13 deportees were part of a group of 42 Nigerians initially apprehended by Mozambican authorities, who allegedly accused them of not possessing valid immigration documents.
However, the affected Nigerians insisted that they had legitimate residence permits, noting that only one among them had a visa that expired shortly before their deportation.
Speaking on behalf of the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NIDCOM, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the commission’s representative, Dipo Odebowale, faulted the manner the case was handled, describing the treatment meted out to the Nigerians as unfair.
He expressed optimism that the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, would engage Mozambican authorities to ensure that justice is done.
The returnees, who were brought back aboard a South African Airways flight, narrated that they were arrested at their business locations in Maputo without prior notice or explanation, despite allegedly having valid documentation.
Some of them also revealed that 29 Nigerians remain in custody in Mozambique, urging the Nigerian government to urgently intervene to secure their release.
One of the deportees said, “We were taken from our places of work without any offence and detained, even though we had valid documents to live and work there,” while another appealed for government assistance, insisting that those still detained were innocent.
While receiving the deportees, NIDCOM expressed sympathy over their experience and assured them of continued support in seeking redress.
Dabiri-Erewa, in her reaction, advised Nigerians in the diaspora to always comply with the laws of their host countries, while stressing that no citizen should be punished unjustly.
“All Nigerians must respect the laws of their host countries, but no one should be sanctioned for an offence they did not commit,” she said.
The commission added that all 13 deportees were adult males who have called for diplomatic action to address what they described as wrongful arrest, detention, and deportation.
