The Federal Government has launched an investigation into the cancellation of visas for 264 passengers who were airlifted from Lagos and Kano to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Sunday.

The passengers were denied entry upon arrival in Jeddah, despite having valid visas and going through the Advanced Passengers Information System (APIS) during the check-in process in Nigeria.

The passengers, who had departed from Lagos and Kano, were informed upon landing that their visas had been revoked at the airport.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through its Special Adviser, Al-Kasim Abdulkadir, has stated in a statement that it is now investigating the matter to determine if any consular or aviation rules were violated.

“Nigeria has just participated in the Saudi-Africa Summit, where bilateral discussions covering several sectors of the economy and mutually beneficial commitments were made,” Al-Kasim stated.

Abdulkadir noted that despite the passengers having completed the APIS process, the Saudi authorities still opted to cancel their visas.

He reported that it was only after the Nigerian embassy intervened that the Saudi authorities reduced the number of passengers who would be returned from 264 to 177.

“The Ministry will ensure such actions that impact the welfare of Nigerian citizens are mitigated in the future in line with the 4Ds strategy of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.” he added
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