The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has explained the circumstances surrounding the detention of Mr. Ekene Vitus Chukwuma in India, saying he ignored an amnesty opportunity to return to Nigeria and failed to utilise an Emergency Travel Certificate (ETC) issued to facilitate his departure.
NiDCOM said Chukwuma is currently being held at the Lampur detention camp in Delhi, India, after he was arrested in December 2025 for overstaying his visa and remaining in the country without proper documentation.
The Commission’s Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, adding that Chukwuma had informed a Consular Officer of the Nigerian High Commission in India by telephone that he had successfully sent his wife and three children back to Nigeria but chose to remain in India to do some “business”.
According to the statement, Chukwuma’s Nigerian passport had expired since 2020, while the Nigerian High Commission had issued him an ETC to enable him return to Nigeria during an amnesty period.
NiDCOM, however, said Chukwuma declined to use the ETC, choosing to remain in India after sending his family home.
The Commission said he was subsequently arrested again, while the ETC issued to him expired during his detention.
It explained that the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) is responsible for the deportation process and that detainees must be checked and cleared before they can be deported.
NiDCOM said many detainees had been cleared, while others remained in detention awaiting the completion of the necessary procedures.
It added that once detainees were cleared and ready for deportation, they were expected to bear the cost of their return, while the Nigerian High Commission would issue ETCs after receiving formal deportation requests from the relevant authorities.
The Commission also disclosed that it recently received reports alleging that some detainees were involved in the sale of illegal substances within the deportation camp.
It added that some detainees had petitioned the FRRO over the alleged activities.
NiDCOM said the Nigerian High Commission would continue to monitor Chukwuma’s situation, alongside that of hundreds of other Nigerians awaiting deportation in India.
The Commission further disclosed that the Nigerian Mission had requested another six-month amnesty for Nigerians residing and working illegally in India, to enable them leave the country without payment of penalties.
It said the initiative was part of the Federal Government’s citizen-centred diplomacy under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
NiDCOM also disclosed that the Nigerian High Commissioner to India, Ambassador Saidu Dahiru Muhammad, alongside some diplomatic staff, recently visited prisons in Mumbai, Maharashtra, to assess the welfare of Nigerian inmates.
READ ALSO: AWAMN to Establish Waste Management Resource Centre for Capacity Building
World Patient Safety Day: WHO Raises Alarm Over Avoidable Harm in NCD Care
The Commission said the Mission planned to conduct similar consular visits across other provinces to check on the welfare of Nigerian inmates and report its findings to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
NiDCOM reiterated its warning to Nigerians living abroad to obey the laws of their host countries and avoid acts of illegality that could lead to arrest, detention or deportation.
About The Author
