Follow Us on Google
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has denied allegations that it misrepresented the circumstances surrounding the detention of a Nigerian, Ekene Vitus Chukwuma, in India.
The commission insisted that Chukwuma remained in India with an expired Nigerian passport despite being given an opportunity to return to Nigeria.
In a post on X on Thursday, NiDCOM said Chukwuma’s Nigerian passport expired in 2020 and that he was arrested in December 2025 for overstaying his visa.
The commission was reacting to a report which quoted Chukwuma as disputing its earlier account of the case, including the claim that his wife and three children had returned to Nigeria while he remained in India for business.
The report stated that Chukwuma had been detained at a deportation camp in Delhi since December 2025 and alleged that he did not receive an Emergency Travel Certificate until May 2026, about six months after his arrest.
He was also reported to have disputed NiDCOM’s claim that he had previously been issued an ETC during an amnesty programme but chose not to use it.
Responding to the report, NiDCOM said the Nigerian’s immigration status could not be ignored in assessing his case.
It said Chukwuma’s passport expired in 2020 and alleged that he remained in India without valid documents while conducting business.
“His Nigerian passport expired in 2020 [six years ago]. Remaining in another country after that, without valid documents, to ‘do business’ is visa overstay. That is an offence,” NiDCOM said.
The commission also criticised the presentation of Chukwuma as a victim without addressing his immigration status.
“Presenting him as a victim while ignoring this fact stereotypes law-abiding Nigerians who travel and live abroad legally,” it said.
NiDCOM urged Nigerians living abroad to comply with the laws of their host countries and called for regular migration.
“Use your platform to promote regular migration, not visa overstay. Irregular stay is a crime. It harms the image of every Nigerian who follows the rules,” the commission said.
In an earlier update on the case, NiDCOM said Chukwuma was being held at the Lampur detention camp in Delhi after his arrest in December 2025 for visa overstay.
The commission said Chukwuma told a consular officer of the Nigerian High Commission by telephone that he had sent his wife and three children back to Nigeria but stayed in India to do “business” despite not having proper documentation.
It said his passport had expired in 2020 and that he was issued an Emergency Travel Certificate by the Nigerian High Commission to enable him to return to Nigeria during an amnesty period.
According to NiDCOM, Chukwuma did not use the ETC and instead remained in India, while the document later expired after he was arrested and placed in detention.
The commission said India’s Foreigners Regional Registration Office was responsible for deportation proceedings and that detainees had to be cleared before they could be deported.
It added that the Nigerian High Commission would issue new ETCs to those cleared for deportation after receiving the relevant requests from Indian authorities.
NiDCOM also said the Nigerian High Commission had requested another six-month amnesty for Nigerians residing and working illegally in India to leave without paying penalties.
The commission said it remained committed to taking up genuine cases involving Nigerians in distress abroad.
“NiDCOM remains committed to taking up genuine cases of Nigerians in distress abroad. We also urge our citizens to abide by the laws of their host countries because Nigerians in the diaspora are law-abiding citizens,” it said.
