Mohammed Dansanta Rimi, Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United Arab Emirate, says a total of 446 Nigerians are currently in prisons in UAE.
He stated this on Tuesday during President Muhammadu Buhari ‘s town hall meeting with Nigerians residing in UAE.
Rimi said: “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.”
Rimi added that in the spirit of forgiveness, tolerance and accommodation, UAE government had granted amnesty to all irregular students in the counrty.
He said: “In 2018, a total of 5,774 standard passports were issued by the embassy, out of which 3,164 were specifically issued during the amnesty programme. Furthermore, 1,346 emergency travelling certificates were issued to Nigerians to facilitate their return home.”
The ambassador added that Nigerians were granted amnesty to enable them live and pursue their legitimate businesses in the country.
