The aviation and diplomatic spheres of Nigeria were thrown into disarray after the Saudi Arabian government unexpectedly revoked the visas of all 264 passengers transported by Nigeria's primary carrier, Air Peace. This incident unfolded upon their arrival from Kano, coinciding with President Bola Tinubu's presence at the Arab-Africa summits in Saudi Arabia.
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Official Responses
In response to this unprecedented turn of events, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement, emphasizing its commitment to investigating the matter to ascertain if any consular or aviation regulations were breached. The ministry pledged to prevent similar actions impacting Nigerian citizens in the future in line with President Tinubu's 4-Ds strategy.
Presidential Awareness
The Presidency offered insights into its knowledge of the situation but admitted to lacking detailed information about the sequence of events. Mr. Tope Ajayi, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, expressed the administration's awareness while awaiting further updates on the matter.
Flight Details and Puzzling Visas
Reportedly, the flight from Lagos, via Kano, to Jeddah operated smoothly until the startling revelation upon landing that all passengers' visas had been invalidated by Saudi authorities. The perplexing visa cancellation struck both the passengers and airline personnel, given the stringent pre-flight screenings and monitoring conducted by Saudi Arabian authorities.
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Speculations and Diplomatic Mediation
Amidst this ordeal, there have been speculations regarding the motivations behind this surprising turn of events, questioning whether it was a deliberate strategy to dissuade the airline from servicing the destination due to its successful operations. Additionally, it's been noted that even the return flight to Nigeria had been fully booked, adding complexity to the situation. Furthermore, the Nigerian embassy intervened, resulting in the Saudi government reducing the number of passengers mandated to return to Nigeria.
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