Geoffrey Onyeama: Nigeria Minister of Foreign Affairs

The Federal Government has backed Kenyan Government on the arrest of 26 Nigerians in the country on Oct. 22 for flouting visa laws.

A statement by the Ministry Of Foreign Affairs Acting Spokesperson, Jane Bassey-Adams on Tuesday in Abuja, alleged that the arrested persons were not in possession of valid document for their stay in Kenya.

Bassey-Adams said that the Immigration Authority of Kenya acted in accordance with its domestic laws regarding the arrest of illegal immigrants.

She said that the law enabled the authority to crack down on foreigners whose visas had elapsed but remained in Kenya illegally.

The spokesperson said some of them had also been indicted for criminal activities including advance fee fraud, warning that the government would not support any Nigerian who broke the law of her host country.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to state that the Government of Nigeria does not support, encourage or condone any form of illegal migration and condemns all acts of criminality in its entirety.

“The ministry wishes to inform members of the public that the Nigeria High Commission in Nairobi has since sprang into action to ascertain the circumstances of the arrest,” she stated.

The ministry, however, called on Nigerians living abroad to abide by the law of the country of their residence.

It also encouraged Nigeria immigrants to be law abiding and desist from any action capable of tarnishing the image of the country or bring the country into disrepute.

“It will continue to engage countries of residence of all Nigerians abroad with a view to ensuring that they are treated with dignity and respect in accordance with international minimum standard,” she said. (NAN)