The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) has stopped 58 medical doctors from leaving the country for the United Kingdom via Murtala Muhammed International Airport through a chartered flight.
While talking about the Medical Doctors’ relocation plan, the spokesperson of NIS, Sunday James, revealed that the doctors had plotted to sneak out of the country via the Lagos airport. James said out of the 58 Doctors, 56 Doctors had no valid UK visas and would have been refused entry upon their arrival in the UK.
He said the NIS would not allow individuals or groups of well-educated Nigerians who ought to know the procedures for travelling out of their country and the requirements during the COVID19 pandemic, to contravene relevant laws.
According to information gathered, there is an urgent need for Doctors in the United Kingdom due to the persisting COVID -19 pandemic. The urgent need prompted the National Health Service (NHS) to advertise job vacancy for Nigerian Doctors. The NHS announced that the job has juicy packages like NGN47 million annual basic salary, free meal, free housing and so on.
A lot of Nigerian Doctors applied for the job and were interviewed. Out of those interviewed, 58 Doctors were successful but the successful candidates could not apply for visa at the UK embassy owing to the restrictions induced by COVID-19. As a result of their inability to apply for visa, the NHS made a special arrangement to get the successful Doctors to the UK via a chartered flight and grant them visa upon their arrival in the UK.
According to the plan, the chartered flight would airlift the Doctors at the Muritala Mohammed International Airport but the NIS was shocked to see a large number of people at the Airport. After questioning the Doctors, the NIS got to know the plan and stopped the Doctors from travelling.
Also, the NIS said the chartered flight has already left Nigeria without the doctors.
The full NIS statement is posted below:
NIS/SHQ/PRU/290
10th July 2020
PRESS RELEASE
NIS REFUSES DEPARTURE OF 58 NIGERIAN MEDICAL DOCTORS TO LONDON THROUGH MURTALA MUHAMMED INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, LAGOS BY A CHARTERED FLIGHT
- The Nigeria Immigration Service, Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos has refused departure of fifty-eight (58) Nigerian Doctors who attempted traveling aboard a UK bound aircraft flight number ENT 550, registration number SP-ES that flew in from London. Fifty-Six (56) of the Doctors had no Visa for entry to United Kingdom, while only two (2) had visa.
- The Fifty-eight (58) Medical Doctors were refused departure in line with Section 31 subsection 2a and b, on powers conferred on the Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Service by the Immigration Act 2015, to prohibit departure of any person under the conditions stated in the Act. The chartered flight approved for landing in Nigeria was to carry forty-two (42) medical doctors for a training program but they were fifty-eight (58) with only two (2) having Visa for entry into UK, a situation that calls for refusal of departure.
- The Nigeria Immigration Service as the agency saddled with control of entry and departure from Nigeria of persons will not allow individuals or groups of well-educated Nigerians who should know the procedures for travelling out of their country and the requirements, which include having a valid visa for entry into a destination country to leave. This is to avoid refusal of Entry and repatriation back to Nigeria amidst Covid-19 pandemic and spreading of same as well as flouting the Federal Government’s directive on restriction of international flights unless for essential reason as approved by government.
- There is no official communication to the Service from the Ministry of Health in Nigeria or any known Medical body notifying the NIS of the travel of this number of Medical Doctors. The Aircraft has departed for London without the Medical Doctors.
5.The Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Service, Muhammad Babandede, MFR, is taking this opportunity to advise Nigerians to always adhere to travel protocols and ensure they have Valid passports with Valid Visa to the country they intended travelling to before going to any Airport, Seaport or Land Border Control to avoid refusal to depart.
Signed
DCI Sunday James pcc
Service Public Relations Officer
For: Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Service
