Two Nigerian students detained at an irregular migration centre in Sarajevo, Bosnia have been released.
They have all arrived the country safely.
Mr. Abia Uchenna Alexandro and Mr. Eboh Kenneth Chinedu from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, were among five Nigerians who travelled to Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, on November 12, to participate in the World University Championships in Pula.
A day before their official date of departure, they were arrested and deported to Bosnia and Herzegovina by the Croatian police, who claimed that they were illegal migrants from Bosnia, despite having arrived in Croatia with valid visas.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry, in a statement, said the federal government, through the Nigerian Embassy in Hungary quickly intervened and reached out to the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina to secure the release of the students and facilitate their safe return to Nigeria.
The two students arrived the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, Saturday, 21st December 2019, on board Turkish Airlines, at about 2:05am and were received by Mr Ferdinand Nwonye, the ministry’s spokesperson, on behalf of the minister, Geoffrey Onyeama.
Nwonye, in the statement, urged all Nigerian travellers to always inform the Nigerian missions accredited to their host countries of their arrival, for necessary documentation and information purposes.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs assures the general public that it remains committed to ensuring the safety and dignified treatment of Nigerian nationals in Nigeria and the diaspora,” he said.