The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission has confirmed that three Nigerian nationals who were stranded at a South African airport have been cleared and have departed the country.
In a statement on Sunday, the agency said the travellers are expected to arrive in Lagos tomorrow morning.
While welcoming their safe return, NIDCOM expressed concern over the circumstances that led to the incident.
The commission highlighted that one of the individuals “had previously posted insulting remarks about the South African government online.
“This had already placed him on their watchlist. When confronted at the port of entry, he was unable to defend or substantiate those statements, which further aggravated the situation.”
NIDCOM noted that over-reliance on unregulated visa agents is often a key factor in such cases.
According to the agency, “These agents often collect applicants’ passport data pages and complete sections of the visa application… without the full knowledge or approval of the travellers.
“Consequently, many applicants are unable to defend the information provided when questioned during immigration interviews, resulting in entry refusal.”
The commission advised all Nigerian travellers to apply for visas directly or through only licensed and verifiable agents, ensure that every detail submitted is accurate and defensible during immigration interviews, and be mindful of their digital footprint, warning that “derogatory or inflammatory posts can lead to secondary screening or visa denial.”
It further stressed that travellers should always have genuine, well-documented reasons for their visit and carry all necessary supporting evidence.
The incident followed a public appeal by one of the stranded Nigerians on X (formerly Twitter), identified as @YemiFirstson. In the post, the user said, “Myself and 3 other Nigerians have been unlawfully detained in Johannesburg airport for literally doing nothing, papers complete, visa valid, and they literally just singled us out of the crowd for nothing, and one of us’s phones has been seized all day and hasn’t been allowed to reach out to anyone.
“They are trying to take my own phone now, so I am putting this out so that the world knows that if anything happens to us, South Africa should be held responsible. They are saying that they will detain us for no reason until God knows when. We are telling them that we want to book another flight back home immediately, and they are refusing that.”
NIDCOM used the case to advise all Nigerian travellers to exercise caution and pledged to continue engagement with South African authorities to prevent a recurrence.
“We strongly urge all Nigerians planning international travel to exercise due diligence. Responsible preparation protects not only the individual but also Nigeria’s reputation,” NIDCOM said, thanking the Nigerian High Commission in South Africa for its prompt intervention.
