The Federal Government has said that it has initiated an investigation into the sudden cancellation of visas for 264 Nigerian passengers in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, News About Nigeria gathered.
The affected passengers had been transported from Lagos and Kano to Jeddah on a flight that departed from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, via the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, on Sunday night, eventually landing at King Abdul-Aziz International Airport, Jeddah.
To the surprise of the airline staff, Saudi Arabian authorities declared the cancellation of all visas for the passengers, despite their completion of the Advanced Passengers Information System during check-in procedures in Nigeria, which was also monitored by Saudi authorities.
In response, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement through the media aide to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, AlKasim Abdulkadir, confirming that an investigation is underway to determine if any consular or aviation regulations were violated.
The ministry expressed its commitment to ensuring that actions impacting the welfare of Nigerian citizens are addressed in the future, aligning with the 4Ds strategy of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
It highlighted Nigeria’s recent participation in the Saudi-Africa Summit, where bilateral discussions and commitments were made across various economic sectors.
The statement said, “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is investigating the matter to see if any consular or aviation rules have been flouted.
“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.
“Nigeria has just participated in the Saudi-Africa Summit where bilateral discussions covering several sectors of the economy and mutually beneficial commitments were made.”
