THE Federal Government, in its resolve to pay back government of South Africa in its coin, following the unjust deportation of 125 Nigerians aboard Arik Air during the week, all the citizens of South Africa who, again, arrived in Nigeria aboard South African Airways were sent packing by the immigration officials at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport.
Information gathered on Wednesday night revealed that immediately the plane landed at 8.30 p.m, all those carrying South African passports were not allowed to go beyond the immigration desk, before they were asked to return to their country on the same aircraft.
This is coming 24 hours after the Nigerian government deported 56 nationals of the country.
Some Nigerians and other foreign nationals with the South African passport were affected in the development.
Unconfirmed report said the South African government, also on Wednesday, deported some Nigerians from the O.R. Tambo International Airport, Johannes-burg, South Africa.
According to information, as soon as South African Airways aircraft touched down at the runway of the MMIA at 8:30 p.m, the immigration officers at the airport were said to have separated Nigerians from other nationals.
While citizens of other nationals who were cleared by the immigration officers at the airport proceeded to the baggage area for their luggage, South African citizens, including holders of the South African passports, were turned back by the officers.
However, some citizens of other countries, including Nigerians who carried South African passport, protested, but security agents attached to the arrival hall prevented the scene from degenerating to chaos, as they insisted that they were acting on “order from above.”
All efforts to get more details from immigration officials and relevant aviation authorities to ascertain the number of those affected failed, as they refused to pick their calls.
