Saudi Arabia cancels Visa of 264 Nigerian passengers upon landing in Jeddah while Tinubu was still visiting country

 

 

 

 

Saudi Arabia has cancelled the visa of all the 264 passengers airlifted by Nigeria’s major carrier, Air Peace, on arrival in Jeddah from Kano and insisted that the airline should return them back to Nigeria.

 

It later allowed 87 passengers to remain and insisted 177 should follow the Air Peace flight back to Nigeria.

 

The flight took off from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos via the Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano on Sunday night and arrived Saudi Arabia’s major city, Jeddah Monday morning without issues but on landing, the Saudi Arabia authorities announced that all the passengers’ visas were cancelled.

 

The Saudi Arabia government took the decision while Tinubu was still visiting the country where he met top government officials and also performed the Muslim ritual of Hajj.

 

 

The passengers, it was gathered, went through Advanced Passengers Prescreening System (APPS) before being airlifted to Jeddah, hence shocked that Saudi Arabia authorities would cancel their Visas.

 

According to Thisday, the Nigerian embassy waded into the matter, prompting  Saudi authorities to reduce the number of passengers that would be returned to 177 from 264.

 

Saudi Air had been operating directly from Nigeria to Saudi Arabia and since Air Peace started flight service to the Middle East nation at relatively lower fares, it had been receiving high patronage and as Nigerian carrier, it helps to conserve foreign exchange for the country.

 

The newspaper quoted a source from the Nigerian embassy in Jeddah who said even the Saudi Immigrations  personnel said that they didn’t know who cancelled the visas but that they were cancelled when the airline’s flight was already airborne to Jeddah.

 

The source said, “The airline was exonerated in all this as the Advanced Passenger Prescreening System which is live between both countries would have screened out any invalid visa and its passenger. The system accepted all affected passengers and passed them on.”

 

Those deported were 177 passengers and Air Peace has already left with them back to Nigeria.

 

“They are on their way to Nigeria now,” the source said.