SIX Nigerian tourists detained in Cape Verde have been released and are now in the care of the Nigerian Embassy in Senegal.
“Final update: They are free! They’ve passed through the Dakar border and are now in the care of the Nigerian embassy in Senegal,” an X user, @tobiojenike, who raised the issue earlier, announced in a post on Wednesday.
The tourists — David James Udoh, Lily Dada, Oghenero Adaware, Sherifat Abimbola Ogundairo, Jesutomi Aina — and a representative from the travel agency Ìrìn Travels, had travelled from Senegal to Cape Verde for a vacation when they were detained by Cape Verdean immigration authorities for alleged illegal entry.
Earlier, NiDCOM following the concerns raised by @tobiojenike, escalated the concerns over their treatment, stating that the group was pulled aside upon arrival, accused of not having sufficient funds, and had their mobile phones confiscated before being detained at an immigration deportation camp at the airport.
“The attention of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission has been drawn to a case involving six Nigerian tourists who travelled from Senegal to Cape Verde Island on vacation,” the commission said in a statement.
“Upon arrival in Cape Verde, they were pulled out of the queue, accused of not having enough funds, and had their phones confiscated. They were subsequently detained at an immigration deportation camp at the airport,” the statement continued.
NiDCOM noted that reports from the detention centre indicated that the tourists were in distress, with one member reportedly dealing with a medical condition and lacking access to necessary medication.
The commission called on Cape Verdean immigration authorities to treat the case with “respect and dignity” and urged that the group be “put on the next immediate return flight to Dakar for onward connection back to Nigeria.”
The tourists, aged between 25 and 31, had their situation formally reported to the Consular and Migration Directorate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which was expected to intervene.
