The Federal Government says it has secured the release and return home of thousands of Nigerians detained in India, while negotiating another six-month amnesty for those held mainly over immigration-related offences.
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) disclosed this in a statement signed by its Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, on Saturday in Abuja.
According to the commission, officials of the Nigerian High Commission in India had, as of Sept. 1, visited 198 Nigerian inmates across five prisons in Maharashtra, including Mumbai, with more Nigerians still detained in prisons in other provinces.
NiDCOM said the Nigerian High Commission had, between September 2025 and May 2026, secured amnesty for thousands of Nigerians languishing in Indian prisons, particularly those detained for immigration offences and other irregularities.
It said the beneficiaries had been released and returned to Nigeria, although some Nigerians failed to take advantage of the amnesty when it was granted.
The commission added that Nigeria’s High Commissioner to India, Amb. Bianca Ojukwu, had continued engagements with the Indian authorities towards securing another six-month amnesty for Nigerians without pending trials who are being held in detention camps over immigration and related infractions.
NiDCOM said the High Commission was also handling the case of a Nigerian, Mr Ekene, whose situation had recently attracted attention in India.
It explained that the mission would determine whether Ekene qualified for release and departure under applicable procedures, stressing that his family would also have to raise the required funds if he was eligible to leave.
“The Nigerian High Commission is on his case and that of others in similar circumstances and has also been putting pressure on the Indian government to speed up cases of those awaiting trials for various offences,” the statement said.
NiDCOM urged Nigerians residing irregularly in India to take advantage of any fresh amnesty once concluded, warning that those who continued to stay illegally risked arrest.
The commission quoted the Chairman/CEO of NiDCOM, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, as advising Nigerians in India to comply with the laws of the country and utilise the opportunity of the proposed amnesty.
However, NiDCOM clarified that the amnesty did not cover Nigerians awaiting trial for criminal offences, including drug-related cases.
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The commission appealed to Nigerians abroad to avoid criminal activities and comply with the laws of their host countries.
It reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment, through Nigerian diplomatic missions, to assisting citizens in distress while ensuring that due legal processes are followed in foreign jurisdictions.
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