Illegal stay: 25 Nigerians arrested in Kenya •We have valid visas, OPU claims

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9 years ago

Kenya’s Department of Immigration Service said it has arrested over 25 Nigerians staying illegally in the country.

The Kenya Immigration Service, via a message posted on its Twitter handle said Nigerians in Nairobi, Kasarani, Roysambu, Mirema area of Kenya were arrested for being in the country illegally.

The Immigration Kenya in another tweet warned Kenyans, alerting them to “please give report” if there is any Nigerian around their area, while in another message directed at house owners, it alerted that most Nigerians “stay like five or so in one house,” warning that “before you rent any foreigner a house, kindly ask for their valid stay documents in Kenya.”

But a Nigerian resident in Kenya, who is also the Acting Treasurer Oodua Peoples Union (OPU), Kenya Chapter, Mr M.B. Olusesan, lamenting the situation, said “the Kenyan Immigration Service has declared total war of hatred on Nigerian residents in Kenya.”

According to him in a release sent to Tribune Online, Olusesan said: “Despite the pressure, oppression, victimization, unlawful arrest and war of impunity on Nigerian citizen in Kenya, they were left to their own fate, with no assistance from relevant affiliate authorities.

He said it was the OPU under the leadership of Mr L.B. Akintunde, who took over the case.

“The matter has gotten to an embarrassing level that Kenya Immigration Officers put up an unabated siege and crackdown on Nigerian residents in Kenya,They break into houses of Nigerians at unholy hours both day and night around Thika Road, Mololongo, South B, Fedha, Eastlands and other areas in Nairobi.

Olusesan, faulting the claimsfrom Kenya Immigration Service that the arrested Nigerians stay in the country illegally, said Nigerians with valid visas were also being arrested, adding that “unfortunately, many of the victims belongings were stolen during this unlawful operations.”

He said “over eighty (80) Nigerians have been arrested for no reason even with valid visas and they are awaiting deportation at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi Kenya without food and in a very terrible condition.”

He however, urged the Nigerian government to come to their rescue “because nobody knows the next victim and an injustice to one is an injustice to all.”