Few days ago, Davido tweeted that he missed his flight to London
because of immigration officers who were harassing him at the Murtala
Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja because of money. The Nigerian
Immigration Service has responded to Davido’s claims.
In a statement released today by the NIS Public Relations Officer,
Emeka Obua, they said Davido had approached immigration officers at MMIA
on the fateful day with the intention of travelling out of the country
and presented a US passport number 460918874 issued at Georgia on Dec.
14, 2009 and valid till December 14, 2019.
It explained that the officer that attended to him drew his attention
to the fact that his US passport had no Nigerian visa on it with which
he would have been admitted into the country, and Davido reportedly
responded that he had a Nigerian passport but forgot it at home.
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The statement said,
“The officer now informed him that he should go and bring the
Nigerian passport to convince him that he did not enter Nigeria
illegally with a foreign passport without visa. Adeleke started arguing
with the officer, who had to refer the case to his superiors and the
verdict was that he could not make the trip unless he produced the said
Nigerian passport.
“Livid with anger, Adeleke, in company with his bodyguards, started
protesting in a disorderly manner, prompting the Comptroller of
Immigration in-charge at MMIA to intervene. He advised Adeleke to call
his bodyguards to order (caution) and comply with the lawful instruction
which would not only erase any doubt as to his immigration status but
also establish his claim to dual citizenship.”
Davido was said to have left and on the following day produced his
Nigerian e-passport with number A02227477 issued at Abuja on August13,
2010 and valid till August 12, 2015.
The NIS stated that the passport was endorsed and the artiste then proceeded on his trip.
The statement added,
“This behaviour of Adeleke is quite unfortunate. One would ordinarily
have expected some form of commendation from him for the professional
manner the officers, who attended to him, conducted themselves
especially in saving him from embarrassment at some international port
of entry by ensuring that his passport is endorsed as is the law and
practice in Nigeria .
“The intention of this statement is not to to join issues with Mr.
Adeleke but to set the facts of the incident, as it happened at MMIA on
the said day straight.”
