HKN Boss, Davido sparked up some controversy few
days ago when he tweeted that he missed his flight to London because of
immigration officers who were harassing him at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos because of money. The
Nigerian Immigration Service has
responded to Davido's claims. Punch reports...
In a statement released by the NIS Public Relations Officer, Emeka Obua, they said Davido had
approached immigration officers at MMIA on the fateful day with the intention
of travelling out of the country and presented a US passport number 460918874
issued at Georgia on Dec. 14, 2009 and valid till December 14, 2019.
It explained that the officer that attended to him drew his
attention to the fact that his US passport had noNigerian visa on it with
which he would have been admitted into the country, and Davido reportedly
responded that he had a Nigerian passport but forgot it at home.
The statement Read,
“The officer now
informed him that he should go and bring the Nigerian passport to convince him
that he did not enter Nigeria illegally with a foreign passport without visa.
Adeleke started arguing with the officer, who had to refer the case to his
superiors and the verdict was that he could not make the trip unless he
produced the said Nigerian passport.
“Livid with anger,
Adeleke, in company with his bodyguards, started protesting in a disorderly
manner, prompting the Comptroller of Immigration in-charge at MMIA to
intervene. He advised Adeleke to call his bodyguards to order (caution) and
comply with the lawful instruction which would not only erase any doubt as to
his immigration status but also establish his claim to dual citizenship.”
Davido was said to have left and on the following day
produced his Nigerian e-passport with number A02227477 issued at Abuja on
August13, 2010 and valid till August 12, 2015.
The NIS stated that the passport was endorsed and the
artiste then proceeded on his trip.
The statement added,
“This behaviour of
Adeleke is quite unfortunate. One would ordinarily have expected some form of
commendation from him for the professional manner the officers, who attended to
him, conducted themselves especially in saving him from embarrassment at some international port of
entry by ensuring that his passport is endorsed as is the law and practice in
Nigeria .
“The intention of this
statement is not to to join issues with Mr. Adeleke but to set the facts of the
incident, as it happened at MMIA on the said day straight."
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