Of about 10,000 Nigerians living in the United Arab Emirates, 446 are in prisons.
This was disclosed by the Nigerian Ambassador to the UAE, Mohammed Rimi,.
Speaking during President Muhammadu Buhari’s town-hall meeting with Nigerians in the Emirates on Tuesday, Rimi explained, “Although there is no exact record of our citizens in the UAE, owing to the inability to register them on arrival, the number of Nigerians resident in the country is estimated at about 10,000. Out of this number, about 2,017 are students in various universities.
“It is disheartening to state that 446 Nigerians are currently serving different terms in prisons across UAE on account of committing various crimes including possession and consumption of hard drugs and engagement in armed robbery.”
“In 2018, a total of 5,774 standard passport were issued by the embassy, out of which, 3,164 were specifically issued during the amnesty programme. Further 1,346 emergency travelling certificates were issued to Nigerians to facilitate their return home.”
