The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has refuted allegations that it misrepresented the circumstances surrounding the detention of Nigerian national Ekene Vitus Chukwuma in India. In a statement posted on X on Thursday, the commission clarified that Chukwuma was arrested in December 2025 for overstaying his visa while remaining in the country with an expired Nigerian passport.
The clarification comes in response to reports quoting Chukwuma disputing NiDCOM’s earlier account of the case. Chukwuma, who has been detained at a deportation camp in Delhi since December 2025, alleged that he did not receive an Emergency Travel Certificate (ETC) until May 2026, approximately six months after his arrest. He also contested the commission’s claim that he had previously been issued an ETC during an amnesty programme but chose not to use it.
NiDCOM stated that Chukwuma’s Nigerian passport expired in 2020 and that he remained in India without valid documentation to conduct business. The commission emphasized that his immigration status is a critical factor in assessing the case, noting that staying in another country with an expired passport constitutes an offence.
“His Nigerian passport expired in 2020 [six years ago]. Remaining in another country after that, without valid documents, to ‘do business’ is visa overstay. That is an offence,” NiDCOM said.
The commission criticized the portrayal of Chukwuma as a victim without addressing his lack of valid travel documents, arguing that such narratives stereotype law-abiding Nigerians who travel and reside abroad legally. NiDCOM urged citizens in the diaspora to comply with the laws of their host countries and to promote regular migration rather than irregular stay.
According to the commission, Chukwuma informed a consular officer by telephone that he had sent his wife and three children back to Nigeria while he stayed in India for business. NiDCOM explained that India’s Foreigners Regional Registration Office is responsible for deportation proceedings, and the Nigerian High Commission will issue new ETCs to detainees once they are cleared for deportation. The commission also noted that the High Commission had requested a further six-month amnesty for Nigerians residing and working illegally in India to leave without penalties.
<small>Source: The Sun Nigeria — read the original story there.</small>
