Controversy has arisen after Saudi Arabia repatriated 177 Nigerians upon their arrival at Jeddah airport on Monday.
The Saudi authorities allegedly unexpectedly canceled the visas of the Nigerians during the flight for reasons undisclosed, yet allowed the remaining 87 individuals among the 264-passenger Air Peace flight to proceed.
On Wednesday, the Saudi Arabian embassy in Nigeria stated that the repatriated passengers failed to meet the entry requirements and provided inaccurate information to obtain a visa category that isn’t applicable to them, a discrepancy discovered upon their arrival.
However, Air Peace countered Saudi Arabia’s statement, asserting on Wednesday that the visas of all passengers had been checked and confirmed as valid using Saudi Arabia’s verification systems before the check-in process.
The airline further mentioned that it had transmitted the passenger manifest to Saudi authorities ahead of departure. However, they did not cancel any visas or express any concerns during that period.
Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported on Tuesday that 18 of the repatriated Nigerians were refused entry due to having criminal records and being banned from entering the country.
Numerous of the repatriated Nigerians purportedly embarked on a journey to participate in a pilgrimage to the revered Islamic city of Mecca.