The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, NiDCOM, has clarified the circumstances surrounding the continued detention of Ekene Vitus Chukwuma at the Lampur Detention Camp in Delhi, India, saying he had previously been issued an Emergency Travel Certificate to return to Nigeria but did not use it….
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, NiDCOM, has clarified the circumstances surrounding the continued detention of Ekene Vitus Chukwuma at the Lampur Detention Camp in Delhi, India, saying he had previously been issued an Emergency Travel Certificate to return to Nigeria but did not use it.
NiDCOM said Chukwuma was arrested in December 2025 for overstaying his visa and had remained in India with a Nigerian passport that expired in 2020.
In an update issued on Wednesday following concerns raised over his detention, the Commission said Chukwuma told a consular officer of the Nigerian High Commission by telephone that he had sent his wife and three children back to Nigeria but remained in India to do business despite lacking proper documentation.
According to NiDCOM, the Nigerian High Commission had issued him an Emergency Travel Certificate, ETC, during an amnesty period to facilitate his return home.
The Commission said Chukwuma chose not to use the document, after which he was arrested again, while the ETC subsequently expired during his detention.
NiDCOM explained that deportation in India is handled by the Foreigners Regional Registration Office, FRRO, which must first screen and clear detainees before deportation.
It said several Nigerians had been cleared, while others remained in detention awaiting the completion of the process.
Once detainees are cleared for deportation, the Commission said, they are expected to bear the cost of their return, while the Nigerian High Commission issues fresh ETCs after receiving formal deportation requests from the Indian authorities.
NiDCOM also disclosed that the High Commission had received a report alleging that some detainees were involved in the sale of illegal substances within the deportation camp. It added that some detainees had petitioned the FRRO over the matter.
https://x.com/nidcom_gov/status/2100197406113513808
The Commission said the Nigerian High Commission in India would continue monitoring Chukwuma’s case as well as that of hundreds of other Nigerians awaiting deportation.
It disclosed that the mission had requested another six-month amnesty for Nigerians residing and working illegally in India, to enable them return home without paying penalties.
NiDCOM said the initiative was part of efforts to protect Nigerians abroad under the Federal Government’s citizen-centred diplomacy policy.
The Commission also said Nigeria’s High Commissioner to India, Ambassador Saidu Dahiru Muhammad, recently visited prisons in Mumbai, Maharashtra State, with members of the diplomatic staff.
It said the mission planned further consular visits to other Indian provinces to assess the welfare of Nigerian inmates and report its findings to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
NiDCOM reiterated its warning to Nigerians living abroad to obey the laws of their host countries and avoid activities that could result in arrest, detention or deportation.
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