The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has provided clarification on the deportation case of Mr. Ekene Vitus Chukwuma, a Nigerian currently being held at the Lampur detention camp in Delhi, India, over visa overstay and immigration-related issues.
According to NiDCOM, Chukwuma was arrested in December 2025 after overstaying his visa and remained in India without valid travel documentation. The Commission said he had previously informed a Consular Officer of the Nigerian High Commission in India that he had successfully sent his wife and three children back to Nigeria but chose to remain in India to pursue what he described as “business.”
NiDCOM said Chukwuma’s Nigerian passport had expired in 2020. During an earlier amnesty period, the Nigerian High Commission issued him an Emergency Travel Certificate (ETC) to facilitate his return to Nigeria.
However, according to the Commission, Chukwuma did not utilise the travel document and instead remained in India after his family had returned home. He was subsequently arrested again, while the ETC issued to him expired during his detention.
NiDCOM explained that the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) is responsible for processing and clearing individuals facing deportation in India. The agency said several Nigerians had already been cleared and deported, while others, including Chukwuma, remained in detention awaiting completion of the necessary procedures.
The Commission said once detainees are cleared for deportation, they are expected to bear the cost of their return. The Nigerian High Commission then issues an Emergency Travel Certificate upon receiving the relevant deportation request from the Indian authorities.
NiDCOM also disclosed that the Mission recently received reports that some detainees were allegedly involved in the sale of illegal substances within the deportation camp, prompting some detainees to petition the FRRO over the matter.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian High Commission in India has requested another six-month amnesty period for Nigerians residing or working illegally in the country to enable them return to Nigeria without payment of penalties.
NiDCOM said the Mission would continue to monitor the situation involving Chukwuma and other Nigerians awaiting deportation, while also providing consular support within the limits of its mandate.
The Commission further disclosed that Nigeria’s High Commissioner to India, Ambassador Saidu Dahiru Muhammad, recently visited prisons in Mumbai, Maharashtra, alongside diplomatic staff as part of efforts to assess the welfare of Nigerians in custody.
NiDCOM said the planned consular visits to other provinces in India are part of the Federal Government’s citizen-centred diplomacy under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. The Mission is expected to report its findings on the welfare of Nigerian inmates to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Commission reiterated its advisory to Nigerians living abroad to comply with the laws and immigration regulations of their host countries and avoid activities that could result in arrest, detention or deportation.
