No fewer than 800 Nigerians have been apprehended by the Saudi Arabian authorities over various offences, particularly Consular issues, since October 22.
The authorities was said to have intensified joint operations across the country targeted at ridding the kingdom of undocumented irregular migrants.
The disclosure was made on Friday by Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, NiDCOM, in a statement made available by Gabriel Odu of its Media, Public Relations and Protocol unit, to FrontPage.
The commission said although the Nigerian Embassy in Saudi was intervening in the different cases involving Nigerians, it urged Nigerians to resist breaking the laws of other countries.
The statement reads:
“The attention of the Management of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, NiDCOM, has been drawn to a communication from the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation on Saudi Arabian authorities intensifying crackdown on undocumented foreigners in their country.
“The letter stated that Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has between October and December, 2022, intensified joint operations across the country targeted at ridding the kingdom of undocumented irregular migrants.
“In the communication to the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Saudi Arabian government noted that about 45,458 foreigners ranging from violation of residency rules, illegal border crossing attempts and irregular migrants for labour-related offences are in the country.
“The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, NiDCOM, therefore, urges Nigerians travelling to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia without proper documentation not to do so as Saudi authorities have heightened a clamp down on irregular migrants.
“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has about 800 Nigerians arrested and detained for various offences particularly Consular issues since the clampdown began in October, 2022. Though the Nigerian Embassy in Saudi is intervening in this matter, NiDCOM urges Nigerians to resist breaking the laws of other countries.
“In the same vein, President Muhammadu Buhari has appealed to the United Arab Emirates’ President, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to lift the suspension of the blanket visa ban on Nigerians travelling to the UAE.
“It could be recalled that UAE visa ban came as a result of issues associated with alleged criminality and illegalities of some Nigerians living in Dubai.
“The commission has appealed to Nigerian citizens that if they must travel, they should travel with proper documentation and legitimately too.”
